Fish farming
, also known as aquaculture, is the artificial production of fish in an enclosed area. It is a is $5 billion a year industry that produces a wide range of species of fish for a variety of reasons, though mostly for consumption.
Uses
Fish and sea life produced in farms for consumption include salmon, scallops, shrimp and tilapia, as well as decorative and tropical fish for aquariums, like goldfish or Koi fish.
Types of Farms
Fish farms are most commonly dug into the ground and filled with water but can also be built into a natural environment like a river, lake or ocean cove. They can also be operated in above-ground pools or tanks.
Meeting Demand
Fish farming has increased in recent years to meet the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's projection of an addition 40 million tons of seafood per year by 2030 to keep on pace with current consumption.
Ecological Problems
According to The Environmental Defense Fund, fish farms established in poor economic conditions are sometimes built at the expense of natural forest or jungle habitat. When poor drainage or economic conditions shift, it leaves farmers with polluted land and without anything to show for it.
Wild Fish Depletion
Raising predatory fish like salmon or trout requires large amounts of smaller fish to feed them, which are often times removed from wild fisheries and not produced in a fish farm.
