Aquaculture
Aquaculture (sometimes misspelled "aquiculture") is the cultivation of natural produce, such as fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants, of aquatic environments. Mariculture is specifically marine aquaculture, and thus is a subset of aquaculture. Some examples of aquaculture include raising catfish in freshwater ponds, growing cultured pearls, and farming salmon in net-pens set out in a bay.
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2 Problems 3 References 4 External links |
Aquaculture has been one of the fastest growing segments of global food production in recent decades, and has been hailed as an answer to declining wild fish stocks caused largely by overfishing.
In countries like the U.K, Canada, and Norway, salmon and trout farming are one of the fastest-growing forms of agriculture. As the number of these "fish farms" expands, adverse impacts to local aquatic environments increase from fish wastes, uneaten food, escapees, and use of chemicals to control disease. Impacts affecting the quality of wild fish, especially salmon, were noted (?). "Organic fish farming" is cited as one way of maintaining environmental and fish quality without losing the opportunities this form of farming offers (how?).
Other problems with aquaculture include the potential for increasing the spread of unwanted invasive species, as farmed species are often not native to the area in which they are farmed. When these species escape, they can compete with native species and damage ecosystems. Another problem is the spread of introduced parasites and pests.
See also: fishery
Benefits
Problems
References
External links