What is Aquaculture?

Aquaculture, sometimes referred to as aquafarming, refers to the controlled breeding, raising, and harvesting a variety of aquatic organisms – including fish, shellfish, and algae, in various water environments.

There are two core aquaculture categories - marine and freshwater. In the United States, marine aquaculture produces an array of species among shellfish – such as clams, oysters, and mussels, crustaceans – such as shrimp, crab, and lobster, algae – such as seaweed and plankton, and fish – such as salmon, tuna, and grouper. Marine fish farming is typically done in net pens in the water or in tanks on land. U.S. freshwater aquaculture involves breeding species like catfish and trout, which mostly takes place in ponds or other manmade systems.

What Are the Benefits of Aquaculture?

More than 50% of the world’s seafood meant for human consumption originates from aquaculture. With the increasing seafood demand, technology has enabled the cultivation of food in coastal marine seawaters and the open ocean and estuaries – making aquaculture an instrumental method for producing food and other commercial products, restoring habitats, and rebuilding populations of threatened and endangered species.

The United Nations conducted a study [1] that highlights the benefits of aquaculture in improving food security and nutrition. According to the study, when executed properly, aquaculture can increase the availability of seafood for consumption, enhance food production, stimulate economic growth in coastal and rural regions, and contribute towards the cleanliness of waterways.

Other benefits deriving from aquaculture include:

Jobs and livelihoods created by aquafarming.
Support for the cultural and environmental traditions of tribal peoples who’ve long-embraced aquaculture techniques.
Establish key local, regional, national, and international partnerships and joint stewardship efforts to protect our oceans and seas through sharing of scientific research data, technologies, and other resources.
Address global food and nutrition needs with nutrient-rich, sustainably farmed seafood.
Reduce the demand on wild stock, thereby giving wild species more opportunities to recover from adverse environmental conditions, overfishing and harvesting.
Provide an alternative fuel source from algae farming.
Benefit the environment by creating pollution barriers from mollusk and seaweed beds known to filter seawater.
Reduce water demands and environmental disturbances normally associated with land farming, while still providing healthy and nutritious food.

[1] Source: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9229en