Depending on the area and the species being farmed, the high concentrations of prey animals and waste food provided by aquaculture farms attract everything from wild seals, seabirds, and sharks to molluscs and crustaceans. Mammals and birds can damage open net-cages and mussel cultivation grounds, while bottom-browsing fish, starfish, and crabs prey on bivalves and sometimes cultured flatfish.
Prevention of predation by native animals on cultured fish and shellfish can be a day-to-day problem for many aquaculture operators. Often, these predators are - illegally - culled.
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