aquaculture: salmon aquacultureAquaculture in Sweden.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Aquaculture, also called fish farming, fish culture, or mariculture, an approximate equivalent in fishing to agriculture—that is, the rearing of fish, shellfish, and some aquatic plants to supplement the natural supply. Fish are reared under controlled conditions all over the world.

aquaculture: Faroese fish farmFaroese fish farm.Erik Christensen

Read More on This Topic

commercial fishing: Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the propagation and husbandry of aquatic plants and animals for commercial, recreational, and scientific…

Fish may be confined in earth ponds, concrete pools, barricaded coastal waters, or cages suspended in open water. In these enclosures, the fish can be supplied with adequate food and protected from many natural predators.

While most fish farming is devoted to the commercial food market, many governmental agencies engage in it to stock lakes and rivers for sport fishing; there is, in addition, a steady commercial market for goldfish and other decorative fish for home aquariums. Aquaculturists also raise bait fish for both sport and commercial fishing.

Ocean ranching by governments is intended to restock lakes and oceans. The young fish are bred in the controlled environment and when sufficiently mature are released into the open sea. Oysters (as a source of both food and pearls), scallops, and mussels are raised throughout most of the world. Carp, trout, catfish, and tilapia are also widely raised. Experiments with ocean ranching in the late 20th century led to the economically successful aquaculture of lobsters.

Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription.

Subscribe today
This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Lewis, Assistant Editor.

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

• 

  commercial fishing: Aquaculture

  Aquaculture is the propagation and husbandry of aquatic plants and animals for commercial, recreational, and scientific purposes. This includes production for supplying other aquaculture operations, for food and industrial products, for stocking sport fisheries, for producing aquatic bait animals, for fee fishing, for ornamental…

• 

  China: Forestry and fishing

  fishing and of aquaculture, and it is the world’s leading producer in both categories. The bulk of the catch comes from Pacific fisheries, with nearly all of the remainder from inland freshwater sources. Pond raising has always been important and has been increasingly emphasized to supplement coastal and…

• 

  river: Significance to trade, agriculture, and industry

  …related to freshwater fisheries (including fish-farming), to dwelling in houseboats, and to recreational activities. Reliable data for these kinds of dependence on rivers do not exist; published estimates that freshwater and migratory fish provide up to about 15 percent of world catch may be too low. Certainly, millions of people…

History at your fingertips

Thank you for subscribing!

Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.

Source