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Home / IAS Preparation / Aquaculture

Aquaculture - Meaning, Types, Importance, Aquaculture Farming Techniques And More

Last Updated on Jul 31, 2023
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Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. It involves culturing freshwater and saltwater species under controlled conditions.

Aquaculture is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Geography in the General Studies Paper 1 syllabus and events in the UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper 1 syllabus.

Definition and Meaning of Aquaculture

Aquaculture refer to the propagation and rearing of aquatic species in controlled environments for commercial purposes. It involves some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding and protection from predators. Aquaculture can be practised in freshwater ponds, tanks, cages, raceways, vats and reservoirs, and saltwater areas like coastal ponds, sea ranches and floating sea cages.

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Importance of Aquaculture in Meeting Global Food Demand

Food Supply: Aquaculture contributes almost half of the global fish supplies for human consumption. It helps meet the growing demand for fish and seafood due to rising population and incomes.

  • Economic benefits: Aquaculture generates employment and income for farmers, fisherfolk and others employed in the value chain. It also earns foreign exchange through exports.
  • Nutritional benefits: Aquaculture produces fish and shellfish that are rich sources of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals, especially essential for malnourished populations.
  • Environmental benefits: Well-managed aquaculture farms can help replenish wild fish stocks through the controlled release of progeny. They can also aid the conservation of endangered aquatic species.
  • Alternative livelihood: Aquaculture provides an alternative source of livelihood for coastal and inland communities dependent largely on capture fisheries.

Thus, aquaculture plays a critical role in supplementing capture fisheries to sustainably meet the rising global demand for fish and other aquatic foods. Its contribution is expected to increase further to offset stagnating wild fish catches and close the gap between supply and demand.

Study the Article National Fisheries Policy

Types of Aquaculture

There are different types of aquaculture based on the organisms cultured:

Fish farming

Fish farming involves breeding and raising different species of fish under controlled conditions for commercial purposes.

Commonly farmed fish species include

  • Carps like rohu, catla and mrigal, which give high yields.
  • Salmon and trout in cooler climates.
  • Tilapia - an important food fish species, especially in tropical countries.
  • Fish are usually farmed in freshwater ponds, cages and raceways.

Shellfish cultivation

  • This includes farming shrimp, prawns, oysters, mussels and other shellfish.
  • Shellfish are mostly farmed in brackishwater ponds, enclosures and suspended ropes.
  • Techniques like hatchery-based seed production and commercial feeding are used.

Aquatic plant production

  • Involves culturing algae, seaweeds and other aquatic plants.
  • Algae and seaweeds like kelp and nori are commercially farmed.
  • They are used as food, fertilizers, animal feeds and in industries.
  • Seaweeds are grown by attaching to floating ropes in seawater farm areas.

Read about the Tilapia Aquaculture Project Here!

Benefits and Significance of Aquaculture

Aquaculture provide various benefits and plays a significant role in several ways:

  • It supplements capture fisheries by meeting the growing demand for fish and other seafood due to rising population and incomes. Aquaculture currently contributes nearly half of the global fish and seafood supplies for human consumption.
  • It generates economic benefits by providing employment, income and livelihoods to farmers, fisherfolk and others involved in the various stages of aquaculture value chain. Aquaculture also earns foreign exchange through exports of aquacultured products.
  • It produces fish and shellfish that are rich in high quality protein, vitamins and minerals, thus helping improve nutrition and food security especially for undernourished populations.
  • Well-managed aquaculture systems can help replenish wild fish stocks by controlling the release of progeny into the natural environment. They can also aid the conservation of some endangered aquatic species through breeding programs.
  • Aquaculture provides an alternative source of livelihood for coastal and inland communities that traditionally depended largely on capture fisheries. This enables diversification and stabilization of incomes for fisherfolk.
  • Along with meeting the increasing demand for aquatic foods, aquaculture also offers significant opportunities for rural development through employment generation, entrepreneurship and economic growth of regions with appropriate resources, infrastructure and enabling policies.

Read the Article FisherMan in India here.

Aquaculture Farming Techniques and Systems
  • Aquafarmers grow fish and other aquatic animals and plants differently. They use farm techniques and places that work well for what they grow.
  • Most fish farms use ponds. Farmers make ponds with soil or cement walls. The ponds hold water for the fish. Other places help too. Some farms grow fish in big tanks. They use big cement tanks that hold lots of water. Farmers also grow fish in cages. Cages are like big wire boxes in lakes or the ocean. Fish swim inside the cages.
  • Farmers grow different fish in different ways. Some fish like warm water. They grow well in ponds and tanks. Other fish like cold water. They grow in ponds in cooler places. Farms also grow plants like seaweed. Farms hook the plants too long lines in the ocean. The seaweed grows off the lines in the ocean water.
  • Farmers feed the fish in the different places too. Farms that grow fish in ponds feed the fish food the fish eat well. Farms that grow fish in cages lower food down for the fish to eat. Farms that grow seaweed do not need to feed the plants. The seaweed gets food from the ocean water.
  • The farm places and feed ways help farms grow many types of fish and ocean plants. Farmers pick the best techniques and places to grow healthy fish and plants. Then farmers sell and share the farm-grown fish and plants with people to eat.

Study the Article Blue Revolution.

Challenges in Aquaculture

Aquafarms that grow fish and ocean plants face some problems. Fish farms need to fix those issues to grow fish and plants well.

One problem farms have is making the fish and plants sick. When lots of fish live close to ponds or tanks, germs spread easily. The germs can make the fish sick. Farms must clean water clean and give fish good food and air to keep fish healthy.

Another problem for fish farms is what the farms grow hurts the ocean. Some farms drop too much waste in the water. The waste has extra feed and fish poop. The waste can make the nearby ocean dirty and dead. Farms must fix how they pour wastewater from farm ponds and tanks into the ocean.

Fish farms also have issues with sea animals that eat the farmed fish. Animals like seals and birds search for fish in farm ponds and cages. The animals eat lots of farm fish. Farms must try to keep animals away from their fish and cages so farms grow lots of fish.

Issues with the environment hurt fish farms too. When floods come or hurricanes hit, farm ponds and cages can break. The farm fish swim away or die. Farms must make farm ponds and cages strong to face bad weather and floods.

So fish farms and ocean plant farms have problems they need to fix to grow and sell lots of good fish and plants. Farms work to make water clean. Farms try to stop waste and keep animals out. And farms build strength to face bad weather. Those fixes help fish farms grow fish and sea plants better.

Sustainable Practices in Aquaculture

Here are some sustainable practices that can be adopted in aquaculture farms:

  • Use of extensive or semi-intensive culture systems with lower stocking densities and feed inputs. This reduces negative environmental impacts per unit of production.
  • Adoption of integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems where fish farming is combined with crop cultivation. The waste from one is used as input for the other in a symbiotic relationship.
  •  Implementation of ecosystem-based management that balances ecological, social and economic considerations for long-term sustainability. It considers the interactions within the aquaculture system and with the surrounding environment.
  • Use environmentally-friendly feeds made from sustainable sources to minimize the footprint of aquafeeds. Feeds derived from food waste, agro-industrial byproducts and algae can reduce pressure on wild fish stocks.
  •  Development and culture of fast-growing and disease-resistant species that are suitable for intensive systems and commercial aquaculture. This improves productivity and the efficient use of inputs.
  • Adoption of good management practices for environmental monitoring, waste treatment, broodstock management, habitat maintenance, biosecurity etc. This helps minimize environmental impacts per unit of production.
  • Application of closed recycling systems that reuse water and waste within the farm with minimal discharge. This significantly reduces water use and the discharge of nutrients and uneaten food.
  •  Implementation of organic aquaculture following strict feed-use standards, banning chemical treatments and using renewable energy sources. This ensures environmentally sustainable production.

Also, Read the Article Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) here!

Innovations and Future Trends in Aquaculture

Aquaculture grow fish and ocean plants for food. Farmers are making aquaculture better with new ideas. These ideas help farms grow more fish and plants with less waste. And the ideas make the farmed fish and plants healthier.

Some new farm ideas use machines and sensors. Farms use machines that feed the fish more exactly. The machines drop small bits of food so less food falls to the bottom. Farms use sensors that watch the water. The sensors tell farmers if the water needs more air or is becoming dirty. Then farmers can fix the water fast.

Some new ideas use different kinds of fish feed. Farms grow special feed for the farmed fish. The feed has the food the fish like best. And the feed has fewer leftover bits after the fish eat. The new feed helps fish grow fast and strong on less food.

Other new ideas change how farms clean water. Farms add special filters and plants to the farm water. The filters catch smaller waste bits from the fish. And the plants feed on-farm waste and turn it into food for the fish. The clean filters and plants keep farm water clean and fresh.

New-breed fish ideas help too. Farms breed fish that can grow on plant-based food. The plant feed costs less, so farms save money. Farms also breed fish that fight off germs and sickness better. The stronger fish stay healthy in crowded farm places.

So many new ideas help fish farms grow in the future. The ideas and machines help farms waste less. And the new fish breeds help fish stay strong and grow big for people to eat. All the new ideas make 

aquaculture better and better.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while aquaculture has many potential benefits, significant sustainability challenges also need to be addressed for its long-term viability. The key takeaways are:

Aquaculture plays an important role in meeting the global demand for seafood by supplementing declining capture fisheries. It generates income, employment and improves nutrition.

However, conventional intensive aquaculture systems cause environmental problems like pollution from uneaten feed and fish waste, antibiotic and chemical usage, and escapes of farmed stock.

Concerns about the sustainability of wild fish stocks used in aquafeeds and genetic impacts on wild populations exist. Disease outbreaks and the impacts of climate change also pose risks.

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Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, such as fish, shellfish, and plants, in controlled environments for commercial purposes.

Aquaculture refers to the cultivation and breeding of aquatic organisms in tanks, ponds, or other artificial systems instead of harvesting them from natural environments.

Aquaculture is the practice of rearing, breeding, and harvesting aquatic species under controlled conditions, typically for food production or conservation purposes.

Aquaculture farming involves cultivating and rearing aquatic organisms, such as fish, mollusks, or crustaceans, in specifically designed environments to meet commercial demand.

Aquaculture is vital in meeting the increasing global demand for seafood, providing food security, reducing pressure on wild fish populations, and supporting economic development in coastal communities.
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