51 Aquaculture Facts For Kids On Fish Farming And Its Importance

Did you know that the shrimp and salmon that you enjoy so much come through a process known as aquaculture?

It is important to feed our families adequate amounts of protein and the consumption of omega 3 fatty acid-rich seafood such as salmon and trout is a great way of doing so! Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, such as fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants.

It is an important source of food and employment around the world. Aquaculture involves raising fish in tanks or enclosures in the water. When aquaculture began centuries ago, it was mainly used to harvest wild fish. However, today aquaculture is used to farm fish for human consumption and other purposes.

There are many different types of aquaculture, including freshwater aquaculture, marine aquaculture, brackish aquaculture, and aquaponics. Fish farming is one form of aquaculture that has been around for centuries. Aquaculture is a growing industry that benefits people all over the world.

What is aquaculture?

Aquaculture is the practice of growing fish, crustaceans, and algae in man-made structures. Farming fish and shrimps is very beneficial since it helps on meeting the increasing demand for seafood in the world.

• It is quite interesting to note that more than half of the supply of seafood that the world currently requires, comes from the aquaculture industry.
• Farming for cold-blooded fish in hatcheries is easier since the environment can be regulated adequately.
• The wild populations of some of the world's species are known to have gone through a significant decrease in the past few years.
• The reason behind this is understood to be overfishing, which refers to the exploitation of wild stocks beyond the capacity in which they can reproduce in nature.
• Fish farming refers to the breeding of fish in regulated fish ponds.
• In such cases, wild species of fish are grown in caged environments until they are ready to be sold as seafood or released in other ponds for recreational fishing purposes.
• The fish farming industry has been thriving all across the globe and has also gone through a rapid surge in profitability since the '70s.
• Aquaculture does not only revolve around the farming of fish species that would otherwise be found in marine waters.
• In addition to this, aquaculture, as an umbrella term, also encompasses the farming of aquatic plants.
• Such aquatic plants would include phytoplankton or seaweeds.
• The amount of seaweeds typically grown through the processes involved in aquaculture is low due to the fact that the demand for such products is considerably low, compared to that of seafood.
• Shellfish aquaculture is also very famous and is also beneficial for the ecosystem.
• Since mussels, clams, and oysters feed on fibers, they clear out the water and make it possible for other fish species to survive in the same area.
• Oysters are in fact the most widely grown shellfish through aquaculture throughout the world.
• Aquaculture has furthermore become important for society since the human populace needs its supply of protein.
• Farmed seafood typically has a lot of protein, which is a great addition to the diets of human beings.
• The practice of aquaculture is known to have started in China and the place remains the largest producer when it comes to farmed seafood such as fish, aquatic plants, and crustaceans.
• Over the years, many issues have come to light with reference to aquaculture.
• One of the most pertinent ones amongst them would be the impact on agriculture.
• The worst impact on agriculture is rendered by shrimp farming.
• This is because shrimp farming is usually carried out in mangrove forests, which provide nutrients to the surrounding ecosystems.
• In order to increase the volume of farmed shrimp that can be extracted from a single area, the salinity of such mangrove forests is increased, which makes the area inhospitable for other animals and marine animals.
• Herbivore fish such as tilapia are most commonly raised in fish farms.
• Tilapia is a herbivorous species of fish, which essentially means that in order to extract farmed fish of the tilapia kind, the farmer would not have to invest in a lot of other fish to use as food.
• The other commonly farmed fish species apart from tilapia would include trout, catfish, and carp.
• Carnivorous fish species such as salmon are particularly difficult to raise in fish farms since the burden of feeding the fish with several other smaller fish falls on the farmers and can be costly.

Types Of Aquaculture

Fish farming can be done in freshwater, saltwater, or brackish water. Freshwater aquaculture takes place in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Marine aquaculture takes place in saltwater, such as the ocean. Brackish aquaculture takes place in water that has a mix of fresh and saltwater.

• Aquaponics is a type of aquaculture that involves raising fish in tanks and growing plants in another tank or system using the waste from the fish as fertilizer.
• The plants aid in cleaning the water for the fish.
• Mariculture refers to the practice of raising popular forms of seafood such as fish, mollusks, and shrimp in segmented portions of oceans or ponds that contain saline, or sea-water.
• Algaculture, as the name suggests, refers to growing algae in regulated environments.
• The algae thus produced is used for different purposes, one of the most interesting uses being powering smartphones!
• Open-net and cage systems of aquaculture further limit the area in which fish species such as salmon and catfish grow.
• While this practice can be beneficial in some ways, it is dangerous in other aspects.

Advantages Of Aquaculture

There are many benefits of aquaculture, which are quite apparent through the rapid increase in its popularity.

• Aquaculture is a more sustainable way to produce fish than fishing from the wild.
• This practice can also help in saving the endangered species of fish and crustaceans.
• Aquaculture can help reduce poverty in coastal areas.
• Through aquaculture and the subsequent farming of seaweeds, the phytoplanktons of the oceans are saved.
• This keeps the ecosystems of large water bodies intact and fully functional.
• Aquaculture can create jobs and provide income for people living in rural areas.
• Several wild species of fish are made available for people all over the world to eat through fish farming.
• Export and trade are also enhanced through aquaculture.
• Aquaculture can improve food security by providing a reliable source of seafood.
• Aquaculture can help protect the environment by reducing overfishing and habitat destruction.
• Food production through the means of aquaculture is stable and hence provides good income to many families around the world.
• A large percentage of farmed shrimp is of the Pacific white shrimp variety.
• Brazil is the second-largest producer of farmed shrimp such as the Pacific white shrimp and great tiger prawn.
• The world's seafood percentage, which is acquired through aquaculture, forms one of the most stable sources of protein.
• Some fish species such as catfish and tilapia are grown in tanks kept on land.
• Aquaculture is a somewhat sustainable way of meeting the seafood needs of the world.
• A fish hatchery is beneficial since it raises young fish which can then be released into the wild.

Issues With Aquaculture

In spite of the fact that aquaculture contributes greatly towards the world's seafood production, it cannot be denied that the practice comes at some cost!

• Aquaculture can have negative impacts on the environment if not done properly.
• Aquaculture can create water pollution and damage habitats.
• The regulations for aquaculture vary greatly among different nations.
• This essentially means that a pesticide that is banned in the United States could be used in other countries.
• Without a standardized system of regulating the use of such products in aquaculture, the quality of the product would be hard to ensure or even determine.
• Aquaculture can lead to the overfishing of wild fish populations.
• Aquaculture can spread disease to wild fish populations.
• This is because the fish species are often kept in enclosed spaces when being farmed.
• In such scenarios, the water in tanks or caged areas can be contaminated with uneaten food as well as the rejects of the fish.
• As the species starts spending more and more time in the contaminated waters, we are no longer assured fresh fish.
• Fish being farmed this way are capable of spreading numerous diseases.
• Instead of in fish ponds, fish farming is sometimes carried out in net pens. This makes the resident fish quite susceptible to being attacked by predators.
• While aquaculture does promise fresh fish, it cannot guarantee the quality of the fish itself.
• This is because both a fish hatchery and a fish farm would only have limited space.
• Understandably, species such as catfish and trout are not used to living in such small spaces.
• This would essentially result in stunted growth in the fish and it would even have increased chances of developing diseases.