AQUACULTURE is the farming of aquatic animals or plants, including breeding, raising and harvesting

in all types of water environments in controlled conditions. It is used to produce food and commercial
products, restore and create healthier habitats and rebuild threatened or endangered species populations.
There are two types of aquaculture – marine and freshwater.

The term aquaculture broadly refers to the cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled aquatic
environments for any commercial, recreational or public purpose. The breeding, rearing and harvesting of
plants and animals takes place in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, the ocean
and man-made “closed” systems on land.

Aquaculture serves many purposes, including:

Food production for human consumption;

Rebuilding of populations of threatened and endangered species;
Habitat restoration;
Wild stock enhancement;
Production of baitfish; and
Fish culture for zoos and aquariums.

What is Aquaculture?
http://www.eschooltoday.com/aquaculture/what-is-aquaculture.html

Aquaculture involves the art, science and business of breeding aquatic animals and plants in fresh or marine
waters for human use. It also extends to the marketing of such organisms in a controlled environment.

Aquaculture contributed 43% of aquatic animal food for human consumption in 2007 (e.g. fish, crustaceans
and molluscs, but excluding mammals, reptiles and aquatic plants) and is expected to grow further to meet
the future demand.

Aquaculture comes from these two words:

“Aqua” (water) and “Culture” (to grow).

It is kind of agriculture, and therefore, it requires inputs such as clean water and nutrients. Looking at the
bigger picture, it also requires, storage for harvested produce, transportation and marketing facilities. Inputs
often depend of the species that are farmed. Species lower on the aquatic food chain usually require less
input, as they feed on microorganisms and are fine in just clean water. More inputs such as fish or fishmeal,
cereals, or grains are required, as we get higher on the food chain with species such as predatory groupers,
salmon, or tuna.

When we think of aquaculture, we often think of fish farms. This is correct, although it may include other
water animals such as clams and oysters. It also includes crops such as seaweed, often cultivated to feed
water animals.

Aquaculture typically comes in two major forms.

Warmwater aquaculture: Raising plants and animals that do well in warm and fresh
water. Examples are catfish, crayfish, sport fish, and ornamental fish.

Coldwater aquaculture: Raising plants and animals that do well in cool and fresh water.
Examples are salmon and trout.
Aquaculture activities can also be classified according to their degree of intensity:
Intensive — involving the high-density culture of organisms, with regular and nutritionally complete feeding.
Semi-intensive — involving lower densities, with naturally occurring feed, and some direct feeding.
Extensive — involves a low density of organisms, often with naturally occurring feed.

Under these three areas, there are several water environments that are required for specific species.
Types of Aquaculture
Below are a few common types of aquaculture systems

Inland Pond Culture

This usually involves inland artificial ponds of about 20 acres in size and about 6-8ft deep. It is common to
see aeration systems connected to the pond, to introduce air into the ponds. This enhances the supply of
oxygen and also reduces ice formation in the winter season.

In China, over 75% of the farmed freshwater fish are produced in constructed ponds and in the U.S. nearly all
of the farmed catfish are raised in ponds.

Recirculating systems
This involves a closed set of chambers (units) where fish is kept in one and water treatment kept in another.
It is highly dependent on power supply, as water has to be pumped constantly through the fish chambers. As
water flows through the treatment chamber, particulate matter is filtered out and air introduced. This closed
system helps to control the salinity, temperature, oxygen and anything that can cause harm to the fish.

It is considered an environmentally friendlier system because very little new water is introduced to replace
water that evaporated. The residue from the filters is also disposed off in a responsible manner.

Open-net pen and Cage systems

This system is often found offshore and in fresh water lakes. Mesh cages of between 6 and 60 cubic feet
(pens) are installed in the water with the fish inside it. With high concentration of fish in the pens, waste,
chemicals, parasites and diseases are often exchanged in the immediate water environments. The fish also
attract predatory animals (bigger fish), which are often entangled in the nets. This system uses public water,
therefore environmental regulation and some authorization protocols must be respected.

Flow-through / raceway
This is a system made of long units stocked with fish. The units have feeding stations attached to them.
Water is diverted from flowing water and fed into the raceway units flowing down stream. Down the end of
the unit, waste is collected and disposed of. Raceways are common for culturing trout.
Importance of Aquaculture
Health Benefit
All over the world, the demand for seafood has increased because people have learned that seafoods s part
of regular diets are healthier and help fight cardiovascular disease, cancer, alzheimer’s and many other
major illnesses.

Aquaculture is currently estimated to account for approximately 13 percent (10.2 million t) of world fish
production.

Aquaculture will add to wild seafood, and make it cheaper and accessible to all, especially in regions where
there depend on imported seafood products.
Economic Benefits
Fish farms in regions without significant water bodies will provide additional job opportunities, as people will
be involved in the entire business chain — researchers, breeders, fish food manufacturers, equipment
manufacturers, marinas, storage facilities, processors, transportation and marketing companies as well as
restaurants. Regions with poor soils and farming lands can also engage in aquaculture as a form of
agriculture.
More than 100 million people — from farmers to fish processors and retailers—rely on the aquaculture
industry for their livelihoods
Aquaculture business provides tax and royalty revenue to local governments. There is also potential revenue
from exports.
Environmental Benefits
There are real advancements in all types of aquaculture systems. Especially for offshore systems, there are
bio-security systems, cameras and surveillance infrastructure, as well as trained inspectors who ensure that
farms are complying by environmentally safe practices. This helps to reduce diseases transfer in the waters
and so on.
Capture overfishing has been a major environmental issue. Aquaculture helps to reduce the reliance and
impact on wild stock. The use of unsustainable fishing methods such as bottom trawlers is also reduced.
Aquaculture systems often take advantage of harvested runoffs, storm water and surface water. This
reduces the need to depend on other sources of water supply. In addition to this, ponds maintain soil
moisture in their vicinity thereby conserving natural resources.

Impacts of Aquaculture

Any activity that uses natural resources or interacts with the environment will potentially have issues
relating to it. Aquaculture is no exception. Here are a few concerns about the practice:

Nutrient Pollution
Especially with intensive aquaculture farms, there is the issue of irresponsible waste (including uneaten
food, body wastes and dead fish) discharge from the farms, which result in contamination of nearby water
and soil. If chemicals, nutrients and foods dissolve in farm water, they cause eutrophication such waters
come into contact with surrounding waters. This is known as nutrient. Organic residue that settles on the
seabed may also cause alteration of seabed fauna and flora communities.
Here is an illustration of a basic open-net pen.
Notice how nutrients are added and how fish waste collects at the bottom?

Escapees
Wild stock may face food and mating competition or predators if farmed species get into the wild, either by
intentional release or accidental escape. They can spread diseases and just like the concerns of GMO seeds,
they may mix up with wild species and soon we will not be able to differentiate between wild stock and
farmed species. They my also interbreed with wild stock and endanger some native species, threatening the
entire ecosystem.

Habitat Destruction
One good example of habitat destruction is from the creation of ponds for culturing marine shrimps.
Thousands of hectares of mangroves and coastlands, which serve as nursery ground for many aquatic
organisms have been destroyed in places such as Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Mangroves also
support many marine and terrestrial species, and also protect coastlines from storms.

Chemicals used to Control Diseases

To control bacteria, fungal, viral and other pathogenic matter, drugs and chemicals may be used on fish
farms (ponds and cages). There is always a chance that these dissolved chemicals may get into contact with
other aquatic organisms nearby. Too mush use of such drugs can also have an effect on humans who eat the
fish.

Aquaculture factsheet

About 430 (97%) of the aquatic species presently in culture have been domesticated since the start of the
20th century and the number of aquatic species domesticated is still rising rapidly. It was recently estimated
that aquaculture provides 43% of all the fish consumed by humans today.

Fisheries products are the world’s most widely traded foods, with commerce dominated by developing
countries. The total value of world capture fisheries production in 2009 was US$93.9 billion, a value greater
than the global combined net exports of rice, coffee, sugar, and tea.
The second most consumed aquaculture species in the EU are salmon and mussel. Nine out of ten mussels
eaten in the EU are actually farmed. Almost all of EU aquaculture production is consumed in Europe. Norway
is the EU's principal supplier of aquaculture products.