Chapter 6 - Economic Aspects of Freshwater Invertebrates

Abstract

Freshwater invertebrates, including arthropods, molluscs, and other groups, provide both positive and negative consequences for human populations. These invertebrates are economically important as human food sources through their direct consumption and indirectly because they are important food for freshwater fishes. They are the most widely used organisms worldwide for biological monitoring of environmental quality and ecological health. However, they can be important vectors of human disease (e.g., some mosquitoes, black flies, snails), such as malaria, schistosomiasis, river blindness, encephalitis, and yellow fever. Medicinal leeches have a long history of use in treating human illness. Invertebrates that are not disease vectors can also be pestiferous (e.g., some flies, caddisflies, and mayflies) as a result of their high abundance in lakes and rivers near human habitations. Invasive species can have direct and indirect economic influences on humans, such as impacting waterways (e.g., zebra mussels). Freshwater invertebrates also provide aesthetic benefits (e.g., freshwater pearls) to humans.