Aquaculture

This is an example of aquaculture, or aqua farming. This is the 

farming of aquatic life including fish, plants, sea vegetables, 

and more. Types of aquaculture include marine and freshwater. 

This is another example of freshwater aquaculture versus 

marine aquaculture. These include different types of fish and plants 

that are raised depending on what water they live in. Aquacultures insure that

production is plentiful. 

Aquaculture, also known as aqua farming, refers to the controlled breeding of fish, shellfish, and vegetation. This is done for both the commercial production and restoration of aquatic life in areas that need it most. This includes aquaculture in both marine and freshwater areas. Aquaculture for restoration use is important because earth is loosing more and more species of plants and animals everyday. Restoration ensures that these plants and animals are bread and released back into their natural habitat. In the United States, aquaculture is overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Food and Drug Administration. Aquaculture is usually combined with other practices such as wetland protection, water quality, wastewater treatment, water supply, fish health, and on-native species programs. Combining aquaculture with these other programs help with the increase in food production to keep up with supply and demand. Aquaculture is not harmful to the environment in any way. Although the United States has enough supply to distribute, 88% of the seafood we consume as a nation comes from an imported source. The countries that the United States imports seafood from typically do not have any environmental standards. The quality the water in United States aqua farms either stays the same or is better than when it is first used and is often reused for irrigation or treated and reused for more aqua farms. There are qualifications for the fish feed used in aquaculture as well. Fish feed must meet the Food and Drug Administration standards as well as those of the American Association of Feed Control Officials. Buying and consuming United States raised fish and aqua life is important because the United States has one of the highest standard for environmental and product safety compared to the rest of the world. This is not to say that we should not trust fish and other aquatic life that is imported but the Unites States can ensure the safety and regulations of the product. As for a global view of aquaculture, it is rapidly expanding and can be found almost everywhere except Sub-Saharan Africa. Because of global aquaculture, fish are more plentiful than ever and fisherman are having more success because of the abundance. In order to maintain a current global level per capita consumption, aquaculture needs to reach 80 million tons by 2050. With the hopes of aquaculture eventually reaching every nation in the near future, there is a large chance that we could begin to see more diverse populations of aquatic life and new species appearing. Market, trade, and consumption largely influence the rate at which aquaculture grows and succeeds. Other than the United States, Asia has the highest rate of aquaculture overall.