A dive into aquaculture

Added on 17 July 2023

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Aquaculture, the practice of fish farming, is a recently growing industry that relies on cultivating aquatic flora and fauna specifically for human consumption. With rapid population increases around the world, the demand for fish and seafood is similarly increasing, making aquaculture an highly important source of food. Unlike wild fishing, which can deplete natural fish populations and damage ecosystems, aquaculture offers a sustainable and controlled way to produce aquatic protein sources.

Pacific Reef Fisheries uses pond culture in Australia. Credit: Andrew Rankin for Evoke Ag.

There are a multitude of species that can be cultivated through aquaculture, each with varying market benefits. These include, but are not limited to,

Fish - The most common type of organism grown in aquaculture, fish includes varieties of salmon, trout, tilapia, catfish, carp, and barramundi.

Crustaceans - This includes shrimp, prawns, lobsters, and crayfish. The global crustaceans market size was valued at $16.4 billion USD in 2021, and is projected to reach $25.3 billion by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5% from 2022 to 2031.