Fish Farming Guide

According to the library reference website CSA, fish farming is part of the global aquaculture industry that is centered in the developing world, in areas such as China and India. Aquaculture includes the production and farming of aquatic plants, fish and crustaceans.

  1. Types

    • The National Library of medicine refers to fish farming as the production of fish in a controlled water environment for both commercial and recreational use. Fish farming can take place in a variety of inland and offshore areas such as lakes, rivers, streams and in man-made pens on land. A number of species of fish are commonly farmed, including catfish, salmon, trout, tilapia and shrimp. To farm filter feeders, such as mussels, ropes are suspended into the ocean onto which the filter feeders are attached.

    Industry

    • The seafood industry is global, with the Environmental Defense Fund reporting the average American ate 16.5 pounds of seafood in 2006. This amount is an increase of 4 pounds compared with figures from 1980. China is the largest producer of farmed aquaculture products, with 83 percent of the world’s production. The CSA website reports other major producers of aquaculture products include India with 6 percent, Indonesia with 3 percent and Bangladesh with 1 percent. According to CSA, carp is the most commonly farmed fish, accounting for around 50 percent of the globally farmed fish.

    Benefits

    • According to the National Library of Medicine, fish farming can produce a consistent supply of fish to feed a growing world population. For countries such as the U.S., a large fish farming industry can also reduce the reliance of the country on imported fish to meet demand. The Environmental Defense Fund explains the majority of farmed fish is used to meet shortfalls in the supply of seafood; the majority of fish eaten in the U.S. is still caught in the wild.

    Problems

    • Fish farming can produce a number of environmental problems, according to the National Library of Medicine. Among these problems is the introduction of non-native fish species into areas where they compete with native fish for food and space. Waste from a high number of fish held in pens can pollute areas of natural waterways and damage the sediment on the river bed. Disease is another issue reported by the National Library of Medicine, with problems seen when farmed fish bring disease into areas where they come into contact with wild fish.

    Area

    • The majority of fish farming in the U.S. is done offshore, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Increasing the amount of fish farmed in the U.S. requires that sections of shoreline and waterways be dedicated to pens and holding tanks. The amount of space available to the fish farming industry is limited because of the needs of recreational fishing and boating.