One of the major indicators of environmental impact of an aquaculture farm is the size of its production capability. With any method of aquaculture, the larger the production capacity, the higher the environmental risk attributed to the farm. However, new technology and regulations are being used to mitigate the environmental impact of these farms.

 

Historically, the smaller a farm, generally, the less negative environmental impact it has. However, a recent study has shown it is hard to quantify the environmental impact when many of these farms are clustered together in countries such as China, where small subsistence level farms are common in clusters. These farms may use larger areas of land, but their production is lower because lower numbers of animals are kept in each enclosure, leading to less strain on their surrounding environment. 

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High-production, commercial aquaculture facilities often utilize RAS or open-ocean cages and high density within enclosures to be most efficient with feed and water usage. These processes can be damaging to the surrounding environments if proper filtration is not utilized, causing high levels of waste to be released into the environment. Historically, high densities could also lead to stress on the enclosures and lead to escapements and diseases. With new technologies and research, innovative system designs and quality control measures have reduced the environmental impacts of these high-density production sites.

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The most important thing to do, like with any other consumer good, is to research were and how products are made to ensure they use sustainable methods.