The Need for Aquaculture

Aquaculture is probably the fastest growing food producing sector in the world. During the past three decades, aquaculture has expanded, diversified, intensified and made technological advances. The potential of this industry to enhance local food security, alleviate poverty and improve rural livelihoods has been well recognized

The present level of aquaculture production was driven out of necessity. Just as Agriculture became imperative to the existence of mankind, so now has Aquaculture become the only sustainable method of producing high quality seafood. One needs only to review commercial fishery statistics to see that the world's demand for fish and seafood has exceeded the levels that hunting and gathering wild fisheries can support. Recent data suggests that aquaculture now accounts for over 50% of the entire worldwide seafood supply. It is estimated that at least an additional 40 million tonnes of aquatic food will be required by 2030 to maintain the current per capita consumption.

Read more at this page

Global Aquaculture Outlook 2010

Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 - FAO publication releases.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of FAO published seven technical documents on aquaculture which are of global relevance. These documents can be found at this link.

The FAO states that these Regional Reviews and the Global Synthesis can be of pertinent use to national governments, regional organizations, policy makers, farmers, investors, civil society organizations, research and training institutions and the general public.

I, like many others, am busy reading these publications in my spare time and hoping to gain some helpful insights and fresh data from the reports. 

From my limited review of the 2010 publications to date; one thing that certainly stands out is that the industry continues to grow based on need and demand for sustainable fish supplies by the world population. Here is a quote from “State of world aquaculture 2010"

Global production of fish from aquaculture has grown substantially in the past decade, reaching 52.5 million tonnes in 2008, compared with 32.4 million tonnes in 2000. Aquaculture continues to be the fastest-growing animal food producing sector and currently accounts for nearly half (45.6 percent) of the world’s food fish consumption, compared with 33.8 percent in 2000. With stagnating global capture fishery production and an increasing population, aquaculture is perceived as having the greatest potential to produce more fish in the future to meet the growing demand for safe and quality aquatic food.

According to FAO, it is estimated that by 2012 more than 50 percent of global food fish consumption will originate from aquaculture.

Link to Quote

With all this fresh data and some review time I hope to make more posts and comments on the state of affairs. I hope that you do also, feel free to comment here.

Introducing New Closed Loop Aqua Farming Blog

To better define and provide information on aquaculture and aquaponics, I have begun a new blog that will focus on the topic of Closed Loop Aqua Farms. Where land based aquaculture is integrated with aquaponics and other farming methods designed to make maximum use of resources and farming bi-products. The new blog is titled Closed Loop Aqua  Farms. It can be found at this link

I will continue to post information here that is more specific to Aquaculture only particularly intensive land based farming using water recirculation systems. Of course recent and relative news will be blogged on both sites where appropriate.

This should help provide my readers with more more information that is better presented.

The new blog will focus more on the topic of aquaponics and poly-culture farm scenarios.

Closed Loop Aqua Farming Blog

The Image below is an illustration of the Closed Loop process that I will be blogging on.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoy reading my stuff. If you do tell a friend about it!

Loblaws moving toward selling only sustainable seafood

Loblaws a Canadian food chain that boasts it is the country's largest buyer and seller of seafood, as begun introducing its sustainable seafood drive in 18 stores before a national rollout.

The grocery giant's goal is to sell only sustainable seafood by the end of 2013. Shoppers are already encountering some empty trays at some Loblaw fish counters. The empty trays contain signs pointing out that Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, skate and shark are species at risk. Eco-friendly alternatives – such as sablefish or Pacific halibut instead of the Chilean sea bass – are suggested as alternatives.

To guide seafood buyers, Loblaw also posts certification labels from the Marine Stewardship Council, a non-profit, international agency. A new Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification for farmed fish is also being developed. It is expected to be completed in two years. Standards have already been set for tilapia and Vietnamese catfish.

Jeffrey Hutchings, a biology professor and marine conservation expert at Dalhousie University, says 80 percent of the world's fisheries are "fully fished, overfished or depleted." For example, he says the southern St. Lawrence cod fishery, once the largest source of cod in the world, may be gone in 20 to 40 years.

Full Story Link Toronto Star

The move towards more sustainable seafood supplies has been talked about and on-going in one degree or another for quite some time now. I welcome the news that companies such as Loblaws are taking a stance and making concrete moves to reduce the amount of seafood from non sustainable sources.

According to the FAO, "sustainable fisheries and aquaculture means the harvesting and farming of fish stocks in a manner that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".

More on the subject of fisheries sustainablity

Home operated fish farm can make money!

I have always been a supporter of small scale aquaculture farms used by family farmers to grow their own fresh fish for personal consumption or for sale. Fish farming can provide additional income to suplement that of an existing agriculture farm or it can be established as a Hobby Type part time business.

Fish farms have been established using ponds or with tank systems constructed in existing builings, greenhouse, garage etc. Some have even been set up in basements. Here's a story about fish operations being successfully set up and ran in the Fort Wayne area to create income.

News Story Snips

""
JENNI GLENN
The Journal Gazette

FORT WAYNE -- Plenty of country homeowners are looking for ways to make extra cash from their extra acres.

One answer could be to turn a pond or a spare barn into an aquaculture operation. It can take less than $10,000 to start raising fish on a small scale, and the payoff from a side business can add up to $10,000 to $20,000 a year, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service educators say."""


""Aquaculture businesses can be a variety of sizes, which makes the field a good fit for part-time farmers, said Gonzalee Martin, agriculture and natural resources educator at the Purdue University Extension service's Allen County office. Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility in central Indiana spent less than $10,000 to set up an aquaculture operation that raises 5,000 to 10,000 pounds of fish a year, he said.""

Link To Full Story

If you are interested in learning more about Aquaculture I encourage you to check out the free information resources available in the right side bar

Aquaponics Farming is an excellent way to begin growing your own supply of fresh herbs, vegetables and fish year round. A basic simple system can be made at home and consists of a tank of fish connected to one or more growing beds. It can be constructed small enough to fit into a garage, spare room, or kitchen, one or more systems could fit into a shed or home greenhouse. Read more here.

Buy The Ultimate Guide To Home Aquaponics Online 

Related Posts and Pages

Aquaponics - Sustainable Farming
Hobby Farming - A Growing Trend
Profile Of Family Fish Farm
Water Recycling Aquaculture

This post was updated June 27 2012