What is aquaculture and why should we care? CAAWO digs deeper into the topic to help you understand the importance of aquaculture.
You might have heard the term aquaculture being dropped in conversations, or perhaps you’ve read about it on social media. But what is aquaculture and why should we care about it? Before we can get into our personal relationship with it, let’s dig deeper to understand the topic better.
What Is Aquaculture?
Aquaculture is the farming of fish in a controlled environment, mostly to satisfy the needs of human consumption. Aquaculture is not unlike agriculture, but instead of farming crops, the focus is on rearing and cultivating aquatic specimens.
Aquaculture is carried out all over the world in all environments, including:
- Coastal aquaculture farms for saltwater fish and aquatic specimens
- Ocean aquaculture tanks for the same
- Inland aquaculture for freshwater fish
- These can be in rivers, ponds, or lakes
The process is different from one species to the next, but generally, the following four steps are followed:
- Hatchery: Hatching of eggs, breeding, and rearing fish
- Feed mills: Fish are transferred to a farm where they are grown using a feeding system
- Farm: The fish are farmed
- Processor: They are then processed in a facility that distributes them to various retailers and wholesalers
What Is The Importance Of Aquaculture?
Aquaculture is removing the pressure placed on fish in natural water environments. Overfishing of our oceans is increasing year on year to the point where our ocean ecosystems are being destroyed. Wild fish have been exploited so much that the oceans can no longer keep up with the demands of human society’s dietary and health needs.
Aquaculture fills the gap to reduce the demands placed on our oceans and natural waterways, giving these water bodies a chance to regenerate and rejuvenate. Fish and seafood offers exceptional dietary benefits. Aquaculture gives humans the opportunity to enjoy these benefits, while enjoying sustainably farmed fish.
Sustainable Aquaculture
As with all methods of farming, there are opportunities for farmers to cut corners and take advantage of the systems to make more money. CAAWO believes in ensuring that aquaculture is performed sustainably to support both the welfare of fish and the wellbeing of human beings.
Find out more about the work we do to support sustainable aquaculture and marine animals.
