{"id":469,"date":"2023-08-21T13:06:25","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T13:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demosites.royal-elementor-addons.com\/nature-v2\/?p=469"},"modified":"2025-01-17T18:51:54","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T18:51:54","slug":"what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/","title":{"rendered":"What is aquaculture? It may be the solution to overfishing."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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From seaweed to shellfish, this fast-growing industry is ensuring that humans have enough protein for our diets. Here’s what to know about aquaculture.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fishermen and farmers alike are taking to the waters to produce protein to feed the world\u2014from finfish to shellfish to seaweed.<\/p>\n

Aquaculture, sometimes called aquafarming, is the breeding, raising, growing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms in fresh and salt water for human consumption and conservation alike\u2014and the nuances of what it entails are vast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dating back more than 4,000 years<\/a>, aquaculture gradually expanded from China to the rest of the world, and has gained most of its popularity in the 21st century. Today, it\u2019s the fastest growing industry for producing protein, one of the basic building blocks of our diet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Plus, over 50 percent of the world\u2019s seafood comes from aquaculture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe debate is over,\u201d says Daniel Benetti, the director of aquaculture at the University of Miami. \u201cIt’s here to stay. It’s already mainstream.\u201d<\/p>\n

As overfishing threatens the world\u2019s waters<\/a> and the species that rely on them, aquaculture may be the solution to keep fishermen at sea and food on our tables. And there are many different types of aquaculture. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A diver inspects kelp being raised at an aquaculture farm off Vancouver Island, Canada. Easy to grow and easy on the planet, some experts say it’s time to turn to kelp for our protein needs.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Algae (seaweed) aquaculture<\/h2>\n

Although Asia is the world\u2019s largest producer of algae, these farms are gaining traction across the world as our understanding of its nutritious value grows.<\/p>\n

(Is it time to start eating algae?<\/i><\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Seaweed, a type of algae, is also particularly easy to grow as it doesn\u2019t require much attention beyond a little TLC. Sugar kelp, the most commonly cultivated seaweed in the U.S., is grown mainly on longlines<\/a>, or horizontal ropes, studded with spores that are submerged several feet below the water\u2019s surface. It\u2019s a fast growing, annual crop and has a two-month harvesting window.<\/p>\n

When it\u2019s ready, farmers harvest the seaweed by pulling up the longlines and cutting it off. Sugar kelp is mostly sold fresh and directly to restaurants.<\/p>\n

Experts say there\u2019s little disadvantage to seaweed farming. \u201cSeaweed farming, and all marine aquaculture, produces far less carbon emissions when compared to terrestrial farming and livestock production,\u201d says Anoushka Concepcion, an assistant extension educator in marine aquaculture at the University of Connecticut.<\/p>\n

(Why seaweed \u201cforests\u201d might be the key to neutralizing carbon emissions<\/i>.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Juvenile giant barb fish are grown in earthen ponds at the Cambodian Fisheries Administration\u2019s Bati field station.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Photograph by Linh Pham, Nat Geo Image Collection<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Workers harvest channel catfish from a fish farm pond in Itta Bena, Mississippi. One challenge of breeding fish in earthen ponds is that they are more vulnerable to predation from other animals that live nearby.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Shellfish aquaculture<\/h2>\n

Whether it\u2019s oysters<\/a>, clams, or mussels, aquaculture helps ensure there\u2019s plenty of fresh shellfish available to us to eat\u2014and they help keep our oceans clean.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Farmers obtain shellfish seedlings from a hatchery, which is where the shellfish are bred from sperm to larvae to a plantable size. Once in a farm, shellfish, like seaweed, don\u2019t require farmers to provide any food or fertilizer beyond what the ocean naturally offers. Farmers do, however, use different methods to grow each type of shellfish.<\/p>\n

(Your love for fresh oysters can help the planet<\/i><\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Mussels:<\/b> Most grow mussels at the top of the water on ropes that hang down from a floating barge or structure. The lines are covered with mussel seed and then placed in the water, where they\u2019ll grow to market size in about two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oysters:<\/b> Some farmers cultivate oysters in bags or cages that float at the top of the water, while others string lines below the water\u2019s surface, almost like a suspended clothesline hung with oyster bags. These shellfish can also be grown uncaged or in bags on the sea floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Clams:\u00a0<\/b>Clams are exclusively bottom-cultured creatures, meaning they\u2019ll burrow themselves on the water\u2019s floor, either loose or in bags.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Giant Japanese scallops thrive on fish waste at an experimental farm off Canada’s Vancouver Island.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In places like Florida, shellfish farms help clean harmful algal blooms, or red tides<\/a>, from the water. While humans can\u2019t eat the shellfish when a bloom is present, eventually the clam will filter the toxins from the water and through its body, becoming clean again to eat.<\/p>\n

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Finfish aquaculture<\/h2>\n

Finfish is the most complicated of all aquaculture farming. From salmon<\/a> to catfish to tilapia, farmers need to be able to control an environment as much as possible to raise healthy fish.<\/p>\n

Most of these fish come from hatcheries: artificial breeding facilities where the fish are hatched and raised until they\u2019re fingerlings (the size of a finger). They\u2019re then transferred to a farm where they\u2019ll continue to grow until harvested. Depending on what the fish needs to grow, the farm may raise them in warm or cold water and fresh or salt water\u2014and either onshore, on the coast, or in the ocean.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Onshore, there are two main types of farms: earthen ponds and recirculating aquaculture systems.<\/p>\n

Earthen ponds are natural ponds, which are equipped with paddles to help circulate the water, keeping it fresh and moving. In Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, for example, these ponds can produce up to 10,000 pounds of catfish per acre, according to Anita Kelly, an aquaculture professor at Auburn University\u2014although they\u2019re vulnerable to threats from birds, snakes, turtles, and alligators that feast on these ready available fish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A man rows home after tending to and gathering seaweed near Coron Island, Philippines.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Photograph by Rosem Morton<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Recirculating aquaculture systems are essentially industrial warehouses where sea water is pumped into filters that feed pools that house the fish. The wastewater is re-filtered, recycled, and reused within the tanks.<\/p>\n

Coastal farms, meanwhile, mainly use floating net pens, which are the image most commonly associated with aquaculture; from above, these cages look like water-based crop circles.<\/p>\n

Finally, an offshore farm is any farm that’s established in strong and deep waters, Benetti says. These are the most labor-intensive forms of aquaculture\u2014which is part of the reason why there\u2019s only one in the United States, in Hawaii<\/a>. They also require innovative processes to run: Farmers use spherical cages that look like floating metal orbs of netted fish. Although they can be moored or unmoored, they\u2019re usually connected to a feed barge with a tube that pumps food to the fish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This aerial photo shows boats traveling in the aquaculture area of Sansha Township in the morning in Xiapu County, China. During the peak of the autumn harvest, boats travel through vast area, harvesting aquatic products such as seaweed and oysters, from sunrise to sunset.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Photograph by Jiang Kehong, Xinhua\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The future of aquaculture<\/h2>\n

As aquaculture continues to expand, so do its innovations. In 2022, China, the leading producer of finfish aquaculture, launched the world\u2019s first aquaculture ship<\/a>. The ship has 15 tanks\u2014each the size of two standard swimming pools\u2014and is expected to produce about 3,700 tons of fish annually. Because the ship is mobile, the water for the fish is constantly exchanged with the sea, reducing the risk of disease and water pollution.<\/p>\n

And environmentalists keep a close eye on the water quality surrounding net pens, where they say excess feed and condensed fish waste pose a danger of polluting nearby ecosystems.<\/p>\n

To reduce that risk, some farms are looking to combine forces. In Norway, for example, one farm is growing salmon and kelp<\/a> in the hopes that the kelp will absorb nitrogen and other nutrients expelled by the net pens to keep the waters clean.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the aquaculture industry continues to grow at a rapid rate, experimentation is also ongoing. Environmentalists and farmers alike hope these new innovations and techniques will help feed our growing population, and perhaps even save our oceans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From seaweed to shellfish, this fast-growing industry is ensuring that humans have enough protein for our diets. Here’s what to know about aquaculture. Fishermen and farmers alike are taking to the waters to produce protein to feed the world\u2014from finfish to shellfish to seaweed. Aquaculture, sometimes called aquafarming, is the breeding, raising, growing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms in fresh and salt water for human consumption and conservation alike\u2014and the nuances of what it entails are vast.\u00a0 Dating back more than 4,000 years, aquaculture gradually expanded from China to the rest of the world, and has gained most of its popularity in the 21st century. Today, it\u2019s the fastest growing industry for producing protein, one of the basic building blocks of our diet. Plus, over 50 percent of the world\u2019s seafood comes from aquaculture. \u201cThe debate is over,\u201d says Daniel Benetti, the director of aquaculture at the University of Miami. \u201cIt’s here to stay. It’s already mainstream.\u201d As overfishing threatens the world\u2019s waters and the species that rely on them, aquaculture may be the solution to keep fishermen at sea and food on our tables. And there are many different types of aquaculture. Here\u2019s what you need to know. A diver inspects kelp being raised at an aquaculture farm off Vancouver Island, Canada. Easy to grow and easy on the planet, some experts say it’s time to turn to kelp for our protein needs. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection Algae (seaweed) aquaculture Although Asia is the world\u2019s largest producer of algae, these farms are gaining traction across the world as our understanding of its nutritious value grows. (Is it time to start eating algae?) Seaweed, a type of algae, is also particularly easy to grow as it doesn\u2019t require much attention beyond a little TLC. Sugar kelp, the most commonly cultivated seaweed in the U.S., is grown mainly on longlines, or horizontal ropes, studded with spores that are submerged several feet below the water\u2019s surface. It\u2019s a fast growing, annual crop and has a two-month harvesting window. When it\u2019s ready, farmers harvest the seaweed by pulling up the longlines and cutting it off. Sugar kelp is mostly sold fresh and directly to restaurants. Experts say there\u2019s little disadvantage to seaweed farming. \u201cSeaweed farming, and all marine aquaculture, produces far less carbon emissions when compared to terrestrial farming and livestock production,\u201d says Anoushka Concepcion, an assistant extension educator in marine aquaculture at the University of Connecticut. (Why seaweed \u201cforests\u201d might be the key to neutralizing carbon emissions.) Juvenile giant barb fish are grown in earthen ponds at the Cambodian Fisheries Administration\u2019s Bati field station. Photograph by Linh Pham, Nat Geo Image Collection Workers harvest channel catfish from a fish farm pond in Itta Bena, Mississippi. One challenge of breeding fish in earthen ponds is that they are more vulnerable to predation from other animals that live nearby. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection Shellfish aquaculture Whether it\u2019s oysters, clams, or mussels, aquaculture helps ensure there\u2019s plenty of fresh shellfish available to us to eat\u2014and they help keep our oceans clean. Farmers obtain shellfish seedlings from a hatchery, which is where the shellfish are bred from sperm to larvae to a plantable size. Once in a farm, shellfish, like seaweed, don\u2019t require farmers to provide any food or fertilizer beyond what the ocean naturally offers. Farmers do, however, use different methods to grow each type of shellfish. (Your love for fresh oysters can help the planet.) Mussels: Most grow mussels at the top of the water on ropes that hang down from a floating barge or structure. The lines are covered with mussel seed and then placed in the water, where they\u2019ll grow to market size in about two years.\u00a0 Oysters: Some farmers cultivate oysters in bags or cages that float at the top of the water, while others string lines below the water\u2019s surface, almost like a suspended clothesline hung with oyster bags. These shellfish can also be grown uncaged or in bags on the sea floor.\u00a0 Clams:\u00a0Clams are exclusively bottom-cultured creatures, meaning they\u2019ll burrow themselves on the water\u2019s floor, either loose or in bags. Giant Japanese scallops thrive on fish waste at an experimental farm off Canada’s Vancouver Island. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection In places like Florida, shellfish farms help clean harmful algal blooms, or red tides, from the water. While humans can\u2019t eat the shellfish when a bloom is present, eventually the clam will filter the toxins from the water and through its body, becoming clean again to eat. \u00a0 Finfish aquaculture Finfish is the most complicated of all aquaculture farming. From salmon to catfish to tilapia, farmers need to be able to control an environment as much as possible to raise healthy fish. Most of these fish come from hatcheries: artificial breeding facilities where the fish are hatched and raised until they\u2019re fingerlings (the size of a finger). They\u2019re then transferred to a farm where they\u2019ll continue to grow until harvested. Depending on what the fish needs to grow, the farm may raise them in warm or cold water and fresh or salt water\u2014and either onshore, on the coast, or in the ocean. Onshore, there are two main types of farms: earthen ponds and recirculating aquaculture systems. Earthen ponds are natural ponds, which are equipped with paddles to help circulate the water, keeping it fresh and moving. In Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, for example, these ponds can produce up to 10,000 pounds of catfish per acre, according to Anita Kelly, an aquaculture professor at Auburn University\u2014although they\u2019re vulnerable to threats from birds, snakes, turtles, and alligators that feast on these ready available fish. A man rows home after tending to and gathering seaweed near Coron Island, Philippines. Photograph by Rosem Morton Recirculating aquaculture systems are essentially industrial warehouses where sea water is pumped into filters that feed pools that house the fish. The wastewater is re-filtered, recycled, and reused within the tanks. Coastal farms, meanwhile,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":732,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-farming"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is aquaculture? It may be the solution to overfishing. - Pacho Farms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is aquaculture? It may be the solution to overfishing. - Pacho Farms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From seaweed to shellfish, this fast-growing industry is ensuring that humans have enough protein for our diets. Here’s what to know about aquaculture. Fishermen and farmers alike are taking to the waters to produce protein to feed the world\u2014from finfish to shellfish to seaweed. Aquaculture, sometimes called aquafarming, is the breeding, raising, growing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms in fresh and salt water for human consumption and conservation alike\u2014and the nuances of what it entails are vast.\u00a0 Dating back more than 4,000 years, aquaculture gradually expanded from China to the rest of the world, and has gained most of its popularity in the 21st century. Today, it\u2019s the fastest growing industry for producing protein, one of the basic building blocks of our diet. Plus, over 50 percent of the world\u2019s seafood comes from aquaculture. \u201cThe debate is over,\u201d says Daniel Benetti, the director of aquaculture at the University of Miami. \u201cIt’s here to stay. It’s already mainstream.\u201d As overfishing threatens the world\u2019s waters and the species that rely on them, aquaculture may be the solution to keep fishermen at sea and food on our tables. And there are many different types of aquaculture. Here\u2019s what you need to know. A diver inspects kelp being raised at an aquaculture farm off Vancouver Island, Canada. Easy to grow and easy on the planet, some experts say it’s time to turn to kelp for our protein needs. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection Algae (seaweed) aquaculture Although Asia is the world\u2019s largest producer of algae, these farms are gaining traction across the world as our understanding of its nutritious value grows. (Is it time to start eating algae?) Seaweed, a type of algae, is also particularly easy to grow as it doesn\u2019t require much attention beyond a little TLC. Sugar kelp, the most commonly cultivated seaweed in the U.S., is grown mainly on longlines, or horizontal ropes, studded with spores that are submerged several feet below the water\u2019s surface. It\u2019s a fast growing, annual crop and has a two-month harvesting window. When it\u2019s ready, farmers harvest the seaweed by pulling up the longlines and cutting it off. Sugar kelp is mostly sold fresh and directly to restaurants. Experts say there\u2019s little disadvantage to seaweed farming. \u201cSeaweed farming, and all marine aquaculture, produces far less carbon emissions when compared to terrestrial farming and livestock production,\u201d says Anoushka Concepcion, an assistant extension educator in marine aquaculture at the University of Connecticut. (Why seaweed \u201cforests\u201d might be the key to neutralizing carbon emissions.) Juvenile giant barb fish are grown in earthen ponds at the Cambodian Fisheries Administration\u2019s Bati field station. Photograph by Linh Pham, Nat Geo Image Collection Workers harvest channel catfish from a fish farm pond in Itta Bena, Mississippi. One challenge of breeding fish in earthen ponds is that they are more vulnerable to predation from other animals that live nearby. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection Shellfish aquaculture Whether it\u2019s oysters, clams, or mussels, aquaculture helps ensure there\u2019s plenty of fresh shellfish available to us to eat\u2014and they help keep our oceans clean. Farmers obtain shellfish seedlings from a hatchery, which is where the shellfish are bred from sperm to larvae to a plantable size. Once in a farm, shellfish, like seaweed, don\u2019t require farmers to provide any food or fertilizer beyond what the ocean naturally offers. Farmers do, however, use different methods to grow each type of shellfish. (Your love for fresh oysters can help the planet.) Mussels: Most grow mussels at the top of the water on ropes that hang down from a floating barge or structure. The lines are covered with mussel seed and then placed in the water, where they\u2019ll grow to market size in about two years.\u00a0 Oysters: Some farmers cultivate oysters in bags or cages that float at the top of the water, while others string lines below the water\u2019s surface, almost like a suspended clothesline hung with oyster bags. These shellfish can also be grown uncaged or in bags on the sea floor.\u00a0 Clams:\u00a0Clams are exclusively bottom-cultured creatures, meaning they\u2019ll burrow themselves on the water\u2019s floor, either loose or in bags. Giant Japanese scallops thrive on fish waste at an experimental farm off Canada’s Vancouver Island. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection In places like Florida, shellfish farms help clean harmful algal blooms, or red tides, from the water. While humans can\u2019t eat the shellfish when a bloom is present, eventually the clam will filter the toxins from the water and through its body, becoming clean again to eat. \u00a0 Finfish aquaculture Finfish is the most complicated of all aquaculture farming. From salmon to catfish to tilapia, farmers need to be able to control an environment as much as possible to raise healthy fish. Most of these fish come from hatcheries: artificial breeding facilities where the fish are hatched and raised until they\u2019re fingerlings (the size of a finger). They\u2019re then transferred to a farm where they\u2019ll continue to grow until harvested. Depending on what the fish needs to grow, the farm may raise them in warm or cold water and fresh or salt water\u2014and either onshore, on the coast, or in the ocean. Onshore, there are two main types of farms: earthen ponds and recirculating aquaculture systems. Earthen ponds are natural ponds, which are equipped with paddles to help circulate the water, keeping it fresh and moving. In Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, for example, these ponds can produce up to 10,000 pounds of catfish per acre, according to Anita Kelly, an aquaculture professor at Auburn University\u2014although they\u2019re vulnerable to threats from birds, snakes, turtles, and alligators that feast on these ready available fish. A man rows home after tending to and gathering seaweed near Coron Island, Philippines. Photograph by Rosem Morton Recirculating aquaculture systems are essentially industrial warehouses where sea water is pumped into filters that feed pools that house the fish. The wastewater is re-filtered, recycled, and reused within the tanks. Coastal farms, meanwhile,\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pacho Farms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-21T13:06:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-17T18:51:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/about-e1737139820943.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"752\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/71239578115a6bf0c33d65f1af4fd899\"},\"headline\":\"What is aquaculture? 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It may be the solution to overfishing. - Pacho Farms","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is aquaculture? It may be the solution to overfishing. - Pacho Farms","og_description":"From seaweed to shellfish, this fast-growing industry is ensuring that humans have enough protein for our diets. Here’s what to know about aquaculture. Fishermen and farmers alike are taking to the waters to produce protein to feed the world\u2014from finfish to shellfish to seaweed. Aquaculture, sometimes called aquafarming, is the breeding, raising, growing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms in fresh and salt water for human consumption and conservation alike\u2014and the nuances of what it entails are vast.\u00a0 Dating back more than 4,000 years, aquaculture gradually expanded from China to the rest of the world, and has gained most of its popularity in the 21st century. Today, it\u2019s the fastest growing industry for producing protein, one of the basic building blocks of our diet. Plus, over 50 percent of the world\u2019s seafood comes from aquaculture. \u201cThe debate is over,\u201d says Daniel Benetti, the director of aquaculture at the University of Miami. \u201cIt’s here to stay. It’s already mainstream.\u201d As overfishing threatens the world\u2019s waters and the species that rely on them, aquaculture may be the solution to keep fishermen at sea and food on our tables. And there are many different types of aquaculture. Here\u2019s what you need to know. A diver inspects kelp being raised at an aquaculture farm off Vancouver Island, Canada. Easy to grow and easy on the planet, some experts say it’s time to turn to kelp for our protein needs. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection Algae (seaweed) aquaculture Although Asia is the world\u2019s largest producer of algae, these farms are gaining traction across the world as our understanding of its nutritious value grows. (Is it time to start eating algae?) Seaweed, a type of algae, is also particularly easy to grow as it doesn\u2019t require much attention beyond a little TLC. Sugar kelp, the most commonly cultivated seaweed in the U.S., is grown mainly on longlines, or horizontal ropes, studded with spores that are submerged several feet below the water\u2019s surface. It\u2019s a fast growing, annual crop and has a two-month harvesting window. When it\u2019s ready, farmers harvest the seaweed by pulling up the longlines and cutting it off. Sugar kelp is mostly sold fresh and directly to restaurants. Experts say there\u2019s little disadvantage to seaweed farming. \u201cSeaweed farming, and all marine aquaculture, produces far less carbon emissions when compared to terrestrial farming and livestock production,\u201d says Anoushka Concepcion, an assistant extension educator in marine aquaculture at the University of Connecticut. (Why seaweed \u201cforests\u201d might be the key to neutralizing carbon emissions.) Juvenile giant barb fish are grown in earthen ponds at the Cambodian Fisheries Administration\u2019s Bati field station. Photograph by Linh Pham, Nat Geo Image Collection Workers harvest channel catfish from a fish farm pond in Itta Bena, Mississippi. One challenge of breeding fish in earthen ponds is that they are more vulnerable to predation from other animals that live nearby. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection Shellfish aquaculture Whether it\u2019s oysters, clams, or mussels, aquaculture helps ensure there\u2019s plenty of fresh shellfish available to us to eat\u2014and they help keep our oceans clean. Farmers obtain shellfish seedlings from a hatchery, which is where the shellfish are bred from sperm to larvae to a plantable size. Once in a farm, shellfish, like seaweed, don\u2019t require farmers to provide any food or fertilizer beyond what the ocean naturally offers. Farmers do, however, use different methods to grow each type of shellfish. (Your love for fresh oysters can help the planet.) Mussels: Most grow mussels at the top of the water on ropes that hang down from a floating barge or structure. The lines are covered with mussel seed and then placed in the water, where they\u2019ll grow to market size in about two years.\u00a0 Oysters: Some farmers cultivate oysters in bags or cages that float at the top of the water, while others string lines below the water\u2019s surface, almost like a suspended clothesline hung with oyster bags. These shellfish can also be grown uncaged or in bags on the sea floor.\u00a0 Clams:\u00a0Clams are exclusively bottom-cultured creatures, meaning they\u2019ll burrow themselves on the water\u2019s floor, either loose or in bags. Giant Japanese scallops thrive on fish waste at an experimental farm off Canada’s Vancouver Island. Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, Nat Geo Image Collection In places like Florida, shellfish farms help clean harmful algal blooms, or red tides, from the water. While humans can\u2019t eat the shellfish when a bloom is present, eventually the clam will filter the toxins from the water and through its body, becoming clean again to eat. \u00a0 Finfish aquaculture Finfish is the most complicated of all aquaculture farming. From salmon to catfish to tilapia, farmers need to be able to control an environment as much as possible to raise healthy fish. Most of these fish come from hatcheries: artificial breeding facilities where the fish are hatched and raised until they\u2019re fingerlings (the size of a finger). They\u2019re then transferred to a farm where they\u2019ll continue to grow until harvested. Depending on what the fish needs to grow, the farm may raise them in warm or cold water and fresh or salt water\u2014and either onshore, on the coast, or in the ocean. Onshore, there are two main types of farms: earthen ponds and recirculating aquaculture systems. Earthen ponds are natural ponds, which are equipped with paddles to help circulate the water, keeping it fresh and moving. In Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, for example, these ponds can produce up to 10,000 pounds of catfish per acre, according to Anita Kelly, an aquaculture professor at Auburn University\u2014although they\u2019re vulnerable to threats from birds, snakes, turtles, and alligators that feast on these ready available fish. A man rows home after tending to and gathering seaweed near Coron Island, Philippines. Photograph by Rosem Morton Recirculating aquaculture systems are essentially industrial warehouses where sea water is pumped into filters that feed pools that house the fish. The wastewater is re-filtered, recycled, and reused within the tanks. Coastal farms, meanwhile,","og_url":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/","og_site_name":"Pacho Farms","article_published_time":"2023-08-21T13:06:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-17T18:51:54+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":752,"url":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/about-e1737139820943.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/21\/what-is-aquaculture-it-may-be-the-solution-to-overfishing\/"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/pachofarms.com\/#\/schema\/person\/71239578115a6bf0c33d65f1af4fd899"},"headline":"What is aquaculture? 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