Jasmin Reyes

Period 7

Agriculture Essay

Aquaculture was first practiced in Egypt and China more than 4,000 years ago during China's Tang Dynasty. Aquaculture in the U.S. however, is relatively new. It began here during the late 19th century and first reached commercial success later in the 1960's and 1970's. Aquaculture is the production of aquatic organisms for human use and is an increasingly important source of seafood for many countries. Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing U.S. and global agricultural economies. There are two methods of aquaculture, the first is fish production through the use of fish farms, and the second is catching fish natural in their wild habitat and importing them.

A fish hatchery is a place for artificial breeding and hatching of fish and shellfish. Fish possess high amounts of vitamins and fats that are essential to our human diet. They provide some populations with up to half of their protein intake. More and more nutritionists are recommending that adults increase the amount of seafood in their diets, because of this the aquaculture market will be strained to keep up with the growing demand due to rapid population growth:

“The FAO has predicted that the world population in 2050 will reach 9 billion. With this predicted increase in world population, assuming that everyone eats two portions of seafood a week, it would require a total worldwide increase of fish production to around 195 million tons by the year 2050. As supplies from the oceans are diminished due to overfishing, the required production of fish will not be met. Alternatives should be found to meet the demands of the increase in world population” (International Association of Seafood Professionals).

Fish farms are a consistent supply of fish. Fish farming is when fishes are raised in tanks or enclosures and fed manufactured fish supplements to help quicken their development. Typical species found in a fish farm include salmon, catfish, tilapia, cod and shell fish. Although fish farming is very profitable, it can harm the environment. Hatcheries ignore the lifecycle for many species, and as a result can genetically change the behavior of the fish. However, “Aquaculture production of some species and in some areas is being done in a way that minimizes environmental impact. Several conservation organizations such as Monterey Bay Aquarium, Environmental Defense, and Blue Ocean Institute publish seafood cards that rate farmed catfish and tilapia…” (PBS).

The second method is exporting wild caught fish. Wild-caught seafood is a big business in the United States. With locally caught fish subsistence fishery is more common, subsistence fishing is where the catch is shared and consumed directly by the families of the fishermen, rather than being sold at the market. Commercial fishermen generally harvest seafood with a variety of pots, nets, or fishing line. Fishing methods vary in scale and operation depending on

the species and area being fished. A commercial fishery could be just one person on a small boat casting nets by hand, or a huge fleet of boats processing tons of fish at one time. However, fishing can harm the environment. Some fishing methods can accidentally capture other marine animals or damage sensitive habitats such as coral reefs.

India ranks third in the world in aquaculture today. India is a major supplier of shrimp to Japan, Europe and the U.S. In past decades, India has sustained its population with seafood though wild caught fish and shellfish, however, today India is a leader in fish and shrimp farms. India has recently improved yields and consistency to environmental regulations. Compared to India, the U.S. is the fourth largest importer of farmed shrimp, and currently, over 70% of the seafood that Americans consume is imported from India, and at least 40% of our seafood imports are aquaculture products. “Success with aquaculture in the United States requires high rate and high yield production systems that are both environmentally and economically sustainable and yield a high quality product” (PBS.com).

Today, fish production plants are being intergrated with irrigation of biofuel plantations. Using this new technology, water is used in two ways, first for fish production, then for biofuel crops like sugarcane. Fish farms can also be powered with hydroelectric power generators, using damns or hydroelectric turbines. The use of this renewable energy can be found in fish farms in Peru and Chile.

Works CitedAquaFacts. (n.d.). Retrieved from Fisheries Technology Associates .

IAFI. (2014, June 20). Retrieved from International Association of Seafood Professionals.

Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture. (2002-2015). Retrieved from PBS.com.