Fish Farming and Aquaculture

Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food.

Fish hatchery
A facility that releases juvenile fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species' natural numbers.
The most important fish species raised by fish farms are, in order, salmon, carp, tilapia, catfish and cod.

Increasing demands on wild fisheries by commercial fishing has caused widespread overfishing. Fish farming offers an alternative solution to the increasing market demand for fish and fish protein.

Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms such as finfish, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Also known as aquafarming, aquaculture involves cultivating aquatic populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish.Commercial aquaculture supplies one half of the fish and shellfish that is directly consumed by humans.

Major categories of fish farms

There are two kinds of aquaculture:

Extensive aquaculture based on local photosynthetical production and

Intensive aquaculture, in which the fish are fed with external food supply. The management of these two kinds of aquaculture systems are completely different.

Specific types of fish farms

Within intensive and extensive aquaculture methods there are numerous specific types of fish farms, each has benefits and applications unique to its design.

Integrated recycling systems
Irrigation ditch or pond systems
Cage system
Classic fry farming

Source - Wikipedia

Expanding Sustainable Aquaculture

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, aquaculture provided 43% of the total food supply of fish in 2004. Analysis suggests that by 2020, almost half of all fish and other aquatic products in consumer markets worldwide will be farmed.

Many coastal fisheries are thought to be at or near their productive capacity. But aquaculture production overall has been increasing by 6.6% a year, and is expected to continue growing.

This dynamic growth can be tapped in ways that reduce poverty while increasing global food supply. Whether that happens, however, depends critically on where and how aquaculture is implemented.

WorldFish Center is at the forefront of the development of sustainable aquaculture technologies. The methods, particularly well adapted for use by small-scale producers in developing countries, are making it possible for a growing number of the world’s poorest people to better feed and support themselves.

Under the right conditions, this kind of aquaculture improves human well-being in a number of ways that support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Direct benefits include greater food security, improved nutrition, supplemental income, and livelihood options. The approach can bring significant indirect benefits as well, by contributing to economic growth, easing pressure on increasingly scarce stocks of fish in the wild, improving health and empowering women.
Source - World fish centre