Also dubbed the “Blue Revolution”, aquaculture can be simply defined as the farming of aquatic organisms.
Aquaculture may be conducted either in land-based artificial tanks and ponds in coastal areas or floating net cage enclosures at sea, usually in sheltered locations.
During the last two decades there has been a rapid global expansion of commercial aquaculture and it now contribute significantly to the total global seafood production. Local consumers may not realise it, but there are already many farmed seafood products in our retailer freezers, such as oysters, mussels, salmon and prawns. Some aquaculture methods are better than others, for example the farming of mussels and oysters also practised in South Africa, is seen as a good environmental seafood choice, as these animals are filter feeders and need no nutritional input.
On the other hand, farming of carnivorous fin-fish such as salmon in the northern hemisphere, especially under intensive conditions (not unlike cattle in a feedlot) is associated with numerous issues, ranging from pollution to the escape of farmed fish, disease and parasite transfer to wild salmon populations, to the composition of feeds used, and whether these are safe and sustainable.
Aquaculture will undoubtedly become a more and more important source of seafood, but consumers need to bear in mind there are certain production methods that also have negative environmental, and sometimes human health, implications.
Mariculture refers to the farming of specifically marine species, as opposed to freshwater.
Visit the Aquaculture pages of WWF-US for more information, and for finding out about what is being done to reduce the environmental impacts of aquaculture activities.
During the last two decades there has been a rapid global expansion of commercial aquaculture and it now contribute significantly to the total global seafood production. Local consumers may not realise it, but there are already many farmed seafood products in our retailer freezers, such as oysters, mussels, salmon and prawns. Some aquaculture methods are better than others, for example the farming of mussels and oysters also practised in South Africa, is seen as a good environmental seafood choice, as these animals are filter feeders and need no nutritional input.
On the other hand, farming of carnivorous fin-fish such as salmon in the northern hemisphere, especially under intensive conditions (not unlike cattle in a feedlot) is associated with numerous issues, ranging from pollution to the escape of farmed fish, disease and parasite transfer to wild salmon populations, to the composition of feeds used, and whether these are safe and sustainable.
Aquaculture will undoubtedly become a more and more important source of seafood, but consumers need to bear in mind there are certain production methods that also have negative environmental, and sometimes human health, implications.
Mariculture refers to the farming of specifically marine species, as opposed to freshwater.
Visit the Aquaculture pages of WWF-US for more information, and for finding out about what is being done to reduce the environmental impacts of aquaculture activities.