Aquaculture

Aquaculture, also referred to as aquafarming, is the animal husbandry of aquatic organisms such as fish, mollusks, crustaceans and seaweeds in controlled environments. Because of a growing demand for seafood worldwide, aquaculture has become one of the largest sources of fish and shellfish for human consumption.

Several methods of aquaculture exist including fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming and algaculture, or seaweed farming. Some more technologically advanced practices of aquaculture include hydroponics, aquaponics and urban aquaculture. 

The benefits of aquaculture fall into four categories: Sustainability, Demand, Economy and Environment. Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production sectors in the world and therefore has become an essential for finding a global solution to creating sustainable seafood sources. By using aquaculture to satisfy the growing demand for seafood, natural stocks can be replenished. Additionally, aquaculture is consistent and reliable. While most natural fisheries have limitations on the number of fish caught throughout the year, and when fish are available, aquaculture provides consistent quantities of fish and seafood.  Economically, aquaculture provides diverse job opportunities to help with operational services, as fish exports collect more revenue than any other traded food merchandise. Finally, aquaculture is environmentally supportive, as it allows for natural stocks to grow and restore. Additionally, the farming of filter feeding shellfish, such as oysters, has been observed to improve water quality. 

            Like many large scale productions, however, aquaculture has its problems and concerns. Environmentally, aquaculture can be hazardous by contaminating waterways with feces, nutrients and antibiotics that may yield algal blooms. Additionally, nonnative species being grown in an aquaculture facility can escape into bodies of water and outcompete native populations. The spread of disease is frequent, and can also kill native populations. Indirectly, wild species of fish, lower on the food chain, tend to be used to feed fish being grown in aquaculture facilities which leads to overfishing (the opposite of what is intended). Finally, the construction of aquaculture facilities inevitably destroys natural habitat. The shrimp farms in Asia, for example, have replaced mangrove forests and important aquatic wildlife.