Aquaculture

aquaculture, also called fish farming, fish culture, or mariculture, the propagation and husbandry of aquatic plants, animals, and other organisms for commercial, recreational, and scientific purposes. Aquaculture is an approximate aquatic equivalent to agriculture—that is, the rearing of certain marine and freshwater organisms to supplement the natural supply. This includes production for supplying other aquaculture operations, for providing food and industrial products, for stocking sport fisheries, for supplying aquatic bait animals, for stocking fee-fishing operations, for providing aquatic organisms for ornamental purposes, and for supplying feedstocks to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. These activities can occur worldwide.

Discover aquaponics, a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics to produce fish and plants more sustainablySee all videos for this article

Aquaculture has been in existence since at least 500 bce. However, only since the mid-20th century has it assumed commercial importance. The rapid expansion of aquaculture has been to a large extent in the production of relatively high-priced species frequently consumed as a fresh product. Examples are shrimp, crayfish, prawns, trout, salmon, and oysters. However, also increasing is the production of catfish, carp, and tilapia, which are reared in extensive low-energy systems. For example, catfish farming in the United States has more than quintupled its production since it began to grow in the 1960s. Some of these freshwater fish are also utilized in aquaponics, a hybrid system that combines aquaculture with the hydroponic cultivation of plants; the fish wastes are used to feed the plants.

Listen to a discussion on land-based aquaculture and its efficiencySee all videos for this article

Ocean ranching by governments is intended to restock lakes and oceans. The young fish are bred in the controlled environment and when sufficiently mature are released into the open sea. Oysters (as a source of both food and pearls), scallops, and mussels are raised throughout most of the world. Carp, trout, catfish, and tilapia are also widely raised. Experiments with ocean ranching in the late 20th century led to the economically successful aquaculture of lobsters.

The growth of world aquaculture has been stimulated by a number of factors, including population increases, dietary shifts, and advances in aquaculture technology. Limits to the natural supply of ocean resources have also encouraged a growing role for aquaculture in helping to meet increasing demands for fish and shellfish.