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See also: Fish; Fish Consumption; Fishing; Fish Farming; Seafood; etc.
AQUACULTURE
Aquaculture produces 46% of the global seafood people consume. (2010)
Asia accounts for 88.9% of world aquaculture; the Americas 4.6%; Europe 4.4%; Africa 1.8% and Oceania 0.3%. (Scientific American Feb/2011)
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, world aquaculture production in 2006 was 52 million tonnes, valued at almost US $79 billion.
The regulation and cultivation of various types of fish for human consumption. Fish farming utilizes scientific methods to insure maximum production and high quality, while keeping costs competitive with wild product. In the U.S., most of the commercial freshwater trout, shrimp, salmon and catfish we consume are farmed.
During the Tang Dynasty (around 900 A.D.) the Chinese were 'farming' fish exclusively for the emperor's consumption. Some sources date the beginnings of Chinese fish farming as far back as 3,500 years ago. Today China farms more freshwater fish than any other country.
In the U.S. about 1/2 of the oysters and almost all of the catfish, crawfish and rainbow trout sold commercially are farm raised. Catfish is the largest 'crop', followed by crawfish and the third largest 'crop' is rainbow trout.
Worldwide, fish farming accounts for more than 70 million tons of fish each year.
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