Aquaculture is a type of farming that is practiced all over the world. Some of your favorite meals may be enjoyed thanks to the aquaculture industry, especially if you like salmon, catfish, or shrimp! Aquaculture production has actually exceeded that of wild fish captures, and for the last 30 years has been one of your main sources of fish, shrimp, oysters, seaweed, and much more.
But how long has aquaculture been around, and what can we learn about its history that could help us shape its future? How is it affecting our planet, our marine life, and our food products today?
Did you know that as early as 6000 BC the indigenous Gunditjmara people of Victoria, Australia might have been raising eels in the volcanic floodplains around Lake Condah? They actually created channels and dams in a 39 square mile area in order to capture the eels and preserve them, so they could be eaten all year long.
In China, in 2500 BC, floodwaters from the rivers would subside, leaving small lakes full of carp and other trapped fish. The people cultivated the fish and fed them, so they would reproduce and become a source of food. During the Tang Dynasty, a strange genetic mutation of the carp led to what we now call Goldfish.
In Japan, seaweed has been part of the aquaculture industry for years in a process that involves anchoring seaweed spores onto bamboo poles, nets, and even oyster shells.
Artificial fish hatcheries became very popular in Canada and the United States in the late eighteen hundreds.
Only .08 percent of known land plant species and .0002 percent of known land animal species are domesticated as of today, compared to .17 percent of known marine plant species and .13 percent of known marine animal species.
Eating marine animals turns out to be much healthier for humans, as most major infectious diseases, like smallpox and diphtheria, originated with our domesticated land animals.
In 2003, global production of shrimp from aquaculture farms increased to over 1.6 million tons, which is worth around 9 billion U.S. dollars.
Shrimp farms are overwhelmingly located in China and Thailand, with the remaining 25 percent in places like Brazil and other Latin American countries.
Shrimp raised in aquaculture farms are very susceptible to disease, increasing the mortality rates and leading shrimp farmers to look for more sustainable practices, with encouragement from their governments and environmental organizations, of course.
An approximate 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. today is farmed and imported.
Fish do not actually produce the popular omega-3 fatty acids that you can find at your health food store. They accumulate the fatty acids by consuming micro algae, or eating other fish who have. That's why in aquaculture, over 50 percent of the world's fish oil is actually fed to farmed salmon.
The biggest concerns when it comes to aquaculture farms are waste-handling, the use and side effects of antibiotics, and the use of other fish to feed the more marketable, carnivorous fish.
When waste collects on the bottom of the ocean, lakes, or ponds where fish are being farmed, it can damage or even exterminate all life living at the bottom, decrease oxygen levels, and disrupt the growth and life of any other wild animals living in the area.
Why are we so invested in aquaculture?
At Avir Environmental, we produce enzyme products that are revolutionizing the aquaculture industry. Our biodegradable and sustainable enzymes eliminate the waste that causes damage to both the farmed fish or shrimp, and also to other animals living in the environment. Our products clean the water, without leaving any damage behind. Visit our website for more information about our innovative water quality solutions.
Let our experience and our products work for you.
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