Aquaculture also known as aquaculture farming or aquafarming is the process of farming aquatic creatures such as molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. In addition of shellfish such as mussels and oysters. Under specific conditions, Aquaculture include farming saltwater and freshwater. Aquaculture farming report a global output which cover one half of the fish and shellfish that is directly consumed by humans worldwide.

Legal Definition: The culture or husbandry of marine organisms by any person. Storage or any other form of impounding or holding of wild marine organisms, without more, shall not qualify as aquaculture. In order to qualify as aquaculture a project must involve affirmative action by the lessee to improve the growth rate or quality of the marine organism.

History of Aquaculture Farming:

When we dive in the history, we found that aquaculture has been used in australia nearby 6000 BC for elevating eels. In China, there are proofs that the industry of aqua farming has been used around 2500 BC. After river floods, fishes such as carp were captured in lakes and fed up with nymphs and silkworm feces.

Aquaculture Farming Production:

The total production of fisheries is over than 150 million tonnes per year, with 18 million tonnes of Carps and other cyprinids, 5 million tonnes of Oysters and 4.5 million tonnes Clams, Cockles and Ark shells. The rest is for Shrimps, Prawns, Salmons, Trouts, Smelts, Mussels, Tilapias and other Cichlids and Scallops.

In the top list of aquaculture producer countries we found that the industry of aquaculture farming is considered as a major economic activity in China.

The Chinese Bureau of Fisheries reports a grow of about 17% yearly to reach 70% of the total world production, followed by some other Asian countries like India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

Nowadays Aquaculture Practices:

Aquaculture is also currently one of the fastest growing fields of food production in the United States of America. Approximately 90% of all U.S. shrimp consumption is farmed and imported. In recent years Salmon aquaculture has become a major export in southern Chile, especially in Puerto Montt, Chile’s fastest-growing city.

For more information about aquaculture farming, check out Aquaculture farms, Aquaculture fish and the Aquaculture fish farming gallery.

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Vietnam Aquaculture Farms:

Marine Farms AS, the Bergen, Norway-based international fish farming company which is very active in seabass and seabream in the Mediterranean, and salmon in Scotland, has started two cobia farms, one is Belize in Central America, and the other in Vietnam. Both are producing cobia, based on Norwegian salmon farming technology. The volumes currently being farmed are relatively small around 1000 – 1500 tonnes per year. However, from this year production is set to rapidly increase. Although technically a pelagic species with a high oil content, cobia will compete on the whitefish market where traditional wild-caught species are becoming ever scarcer.

Marine Farms began farming cobia in cages off the coast of central Vietnam in 2005. The early trials proved so successful that the comapny is now regulary flying consignments of fresh cobia to Taiwan. It has also started to process the fish for Europe where it will be sold as IQF skinless loins, and IQF skinless and boneless cobia fillets and portions will also be exported to the USA from Vietnam. Different product formats can be supplied to both markets if required. Cobia has been called ‘ Tropical Salmon ‘ because of it’s versatility.

Chinese Aquaculture farms:

Ecuador Aquaculture farms:

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For years there have been predictions that the fast-growing marine aquaculture species, cobia (Rachycentron canadum), is about to take off, but so far it has been hard to spot on the market. If you want cobia, it seems you either have to catch it yourself (it is a great game fish in Australia and southern USA), or you have to go to Asia.

Cobia has been farmed for more than a decade in Taiwan, and is making great strides in mainland China which harvested 25855 tonnes in 2007, but the fish is being consumed locally or in neighbouring countries. However, that is about to change. IQF cobia loins from fish farmed off the coast of central Vietnam will make their European debut at this year’s seafood show (ESE) in Brussels.

The fish can be eaten raw, cooked in as many different ways as traditional whitefish species, barbecued, and can be hot or cold-smoked. It grows much faster than salmon and reaches a weight of 6-7 kg in a single year. Cobia has a firm flesh, which turns bright white on cooking, and a mild flavour. Unlike other whitefish species, it has an oil content of 20%, even higher than that of salmon, so is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Tilapia Fish Farming:

Tilapia has gone from a relatively unknown seafood product to a product that is now experiencing skyrocketing demand and supply in US seafood markets. Both foreign and domestic producers of tilapia have responded to consumers growing appetite for tilapia by delivering more and more farm-raised tilapia to the US market in a variety of product forms. Total consumption of tilapia was nearly 100 million pounds of live weight equivalent in 1997. This represented a 26% increase in tilapia consumption over the 1996 level. For the last two years, consumption has increased by an amazing 60%!

Tilapia markets were influenced by the difficult situation and by low ground fish prices in all major markets. USA is still the major tilapia importing country, while China and Egypt are the main tilapia consuming countries.

Carps Fish Farming:

Shrimp Fish Farming:

During 2009 the strong yen has made Shrimp imports and landing prices cheaper in the Japanese market. The EU market 2008 took advantage of the low Shrimp prices experienced in 2009, and overall imports were stable.

Salmon Farming:

Farmed salmon prices are markedly higher in the European market and expected to remain firm during 2011 although with some seasonal variation. Supply swings resulting from climatic conditions or holidays will influence prices for short periods.

Tuna Farming:

The global recession has had a wide range of effects on the seafood sector generall, and Tuna industry more specifically. From a demand prespective, in the US and Europe are changing their purchasing by focussing base. On both continents, consumers are subtituting seafood products with less expenses sources of protein, such as chicken, or buying less expensive seafood or a small amount of the same quality.

Pangasius Farming:

Although the supply of farmed panfasius in Vietnam was lower in 2011 than 2010 because of poor demand and lower prices, by the end of the year processors had managed to turn the situation around and the total value of exports almost reached the level, ending at US$ 1,3 billion.

Fishmeal Farming:

Peruvian fishmeal production was relatively stable in 2010, although Chile reported substantial declines in fishmeal outputs. Scandinavian countries, too had lower catches of species destined for fishmeal production.

Squid Farming:

Squid catches were low in the south west and in Peruvian waters in 2010. Supply to the world market was about 300.000 mt lower than 2009, but prices didn’t go up as expected. The main reason was the bleak economic climate, especially in Spain.

Seabream and bass Farming:

2012 will be a crucial year for the European sea bass and seabream industry. Low prices for bream over the actual and past year and the recent price decline for bass have put pressure on company results. As a consequence, many producers are facing economic difficulties and are in need of strenghthening their capital base.

Fish oil Farming:

World fish oil production is declining despite higher Peruvian production. Prices increased in the course of 2010, but without reaching the peaks of mid 2008 and 2009. Demand for fish oil is strong on the world market, and further price increases are likely in coming years.

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