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Aquaculture is as old as civilization, yet many people do not realize that aquaculture-fish and shellfish farming-supplies so much of the food on the world's tables these days. From tilapia farms in inland Florida and Mexico, to salmon pens in the Pacific Northwest, to shrimp tanks in Asia, aquaculture thrives as over-fishing and pollution threaten fishing grounds worldwide.
In the U.S., catfish is farmed throughout the South, while trout, salmon and tilapia are farmed in many parts of the country. In all cases, domestic fish farms are competing heavily with fish-farmers in Asia who export to the U.S. Catfish from Vietnam and tilapia from China, Taiwan and Indonesia; compete on price and quality with American farm-raised fish. Other kinds of fish that are now farmed include striped bass, crawfish, walleye and yellow perch. Additionally, ornamental fish-fish for aquariums-are farmed, as well.
The U.S. now imports vast quantities of farm-raised shrimp and salmon, along with other kinds of fish. This is mostly due to the continued flat or declining free-water harvests both domestically and abroad. The market for imported farm-raised salmon has continued to rise, along with prices.
In general, aquaculture uses several kinds of fish, along with feed, fuel and power to generate food fish. Broods and stockers keep the population growing, while fingerlings must feed in order to grow to food-size. Fish must be fed, because they are not in the wild and cannot consume other kinds of sea-life to survive. Fuel and power keep tanks at even temperatures. But even in pond aquaculture, effort and money must be expended to keep the environment satisfactory for raising food-size, disease-free fish.
Fish Farming-Aquaculture Links:
Northern Aquaculture - The Voice of Cold Water Aquaculture in North America since 1985.
Global Aquaculture Alliance.
Department of Commerce/National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration.
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