The history of aquaculture

Aquaculture consists in farming aquatic organisms. Around 500 BCE, the Romans farmed oysters and fish
in Mediterranean lagoons, whereas freshwater aquaculture developed empirically some 1000 years
earlier in China. Farming carp in ponds led to the complete domestication of this species in the Middle
Ages, which is also when mussel farming began, following a technique that remained largely unchanged
until the 20th century.

Farming in ponds through the ages

The earliest evidence of fish farming dates back to before 1000 BCE in China. The Zhou dynasty (1112-
221 BCE), then the politician Fan Li, around 500 BCE, were the first to describe carp, a symbol of good
luck and fortune, as being farmed for food. During the Tang dynasty, around 618, the Emperor Li, whose
name means ‘carp’, forbade farming the fish that bore his name. Farmers then turned their attention to
similar fish in the Cyprinidae family and developed the first form of polyculture. Liquid manure from
livestock farming was also used to stimulate algae growth in ponds and make it more nutritious. The
pond beds were then drained so that they in turn were also used as fertiliser. The first integrated
agriculture-aquaculture systems emerged in China, where they are still implemented today.

In Europe, aquaculture first began in Ancient Rome. The Romans, who loved sea fish and oysters,
created oyster farms and adopted the Assyrian vivarium, a kind of ‘swimming pool’ where fish and
crustaceans caught in lagoons were kept alive until it was time to eat them. These vivaria were built
inside wealthier homes, where guests could choose the fish they wished to eat.
In the Middle Ages, throughout feudal Europe, the monastic orders and

the aristocracy were the main users of freshwater fish vivaria, since they

had a monopoly over the land, forests and water courses. Mussel farming

was invented in the 13th century and the technique remained largely

unchanged until the 1960s. As with hunting, poaching was severely

punished and the less well-off would have to wait a few centuries before

The History
fresh fish was served on their plates.

of Aquaculture
By
The Healthy Fish Team

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When you hear the term “aquaculture,” what do you think about? For many
people, it causes them to question the quality of the seafood they eat. Fish
farming has raised eyebrows in the past thanks to news outlets sharing stories
about diseased fish populations and pollution-spreading facilities.

While some of those stories may be true, it’s certainly not the case for all fish
farms. Quality depends on where a farm is located and how it’s managed—and
there are many ethical and responsible producers, like Regal Springs, that are
dedicated to providing consumers with delicious and healthy seafood options.

To help ease your mind about your seafood choices, let’s explore what
aquaculture is and how it has evolved.

What is Aquaculture?
Aquaculture is the practice of raising fish and seafood either in the ocean, in
fresh water or on land. There are many different terms used to describe
aquaculture, depending on what exactly is being raised:

 Mariculture is the practice of growing shellfish like clams, mussels

and oysters in salt water.
 Pisciculture is the practice of raising fish either in open-net pens or
closed cages in oceans, or in land-based recirculating tanks.
 Algaculture is the practice of growing different types of seaweed,
which is becoming a popular health food.
 Aquaponics is the practice of raising fish and plants in a co-beneficial
recirculating system. These systems recycle nutrient-rich water from
fish to grow plants, such as microgreens.
 Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is a seafood farming
method that mimics a natural ecosystem by merging multiple species
from different levels of the food chain. For example, one form of IMTA is
 to grow fish, bivalves (mussels or oysters) and seaweeds close together
for the benefit of each crop and the environment.

The Evolution of Aquaculture

There are ancient records and scripts showing that the practice existed
approximately 4,000 years ago in China and Egypt. Back then, pond aquaculture
was one of the most common methods used for growing fish—usually a mix of
different omnivorous species that would feed on algae, aquatic plants and
insects.

Aquaculture wasn’t practiced in the U.S. until the late 1800s, after knowledge
about Chinese aquaculture practices made its way through European nations
and to North American farmers. And even then, a lot of the fish raised during
this time were used for recreational purposes, such as sportfishing, rather than
for food.

Commercialized aquaculture began in the 1950s in the Mississippi Delta region,

where catfish were raised in channels. The industry grew to include species like
trout and salmon, particularly with hatcheries producing fish stock
for restoration efforts in rivers and lakes.

The value of aquaculture products in the U.S. has grown exponentially since the
1970s, increasing to about $1.5 billion in 2018. And the industry has only
continued to expand since then, embracing species such as Tilapia, hybrid
striped bass, sturgeon, walleye and yellow perch, among other fish and shellfish.

Today, aquaculture continues to be a safe and responsible way to feed the

world’s growing population.

The Future of Aquaculture

Freshwater systems are increasing in production value thanks to their role in
easing pressure off wild fish stocks and decreasing immediate environmental
effects, if managed properly. That’s where certification and management
organizations come into play; they help establish standards and hold fish farms
accountable to ethical and sustainable practices.

Regal Springs Tilapia farms in Mexico, Honduras and Indonesia, for example,
have earned the Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) certification. The BAP program
ensures seafood farms address four areas of sustainability—environmental,
social, food safety, and animal health and welfare—at every step of the
production chain. Not all seafood comes from farms that have this certification,
so it’s important to keep this in mind when shopping at your local store or
market.

While freshwater aquaculture has some negative impacts, it’s a great way to
control the production and source of the world’s seafood supply. The global
consumption of fish and seafood is projected to rise by 14% over the next
decade. With ocean fish stocks suffering from overfishing and poor
management, aquaculture has increased in popularity as a sustainable and
socially beneficial option for food production.

Learn more about aquaculture practices and ethically farmed Tilapia.

Freshwater fish farming was further developed during the Renaissance. Several treatises were
published, providing details on pond construction and management techniques, the choice of species to
farm, their diseases and their diet. Carp dominated the artificial ponds of Eastern Europe. Emperor
Charles IV ordered many such ponds to be built in Bohemia, what is now the westernmost region of the
Czech Republic.

Artificial breeding was discovered in Germany during the Enlightenment, but it was not until the 19th
century, an era of rapid industrialisation, that anyone paid much attention to it. In a hundred years,
industry changed the European landscape. Pollution caused fish populations to diminish and dams and
irrigation canals obstructed the migratory paths of some species, such as salmon. To combat this
dramatic decline, artificial breeding research focused on trout farming, and researchers managed to
master all stages of the process, from fertilisation to egg storage and transportation, pond farming and
releasing fish into the wild. Hatcheries appeared all over the West and, in the 1860s, trout and other
salmonids colonised rivers around the world, in the United States, India, New Zealand and even Japan,
one of the first producers of edible seaweed.

During the first five decades of the 20th century, colonists introduced and then farmed other species of
fish in the Anglo-Belgian colonies in Africa, whether forleisure fishing , to prevent the spread of malaria
(using insect-eating species), or as a food source (tilapia for example). In the kibbutzim of Israel, farmers
adapted traditional methods imported from Eastern Europe to the arid environment and developed new
techniques, enabling them to achieve self-sufficiency in fish products.

In the late 1950s, the invention of artificial granulated food revolutionised fish farming, which until then
had relied on products from agriculture and livestock farming (raw meat, for example), to feed the fish.
During the 1970s, marine species aquaculture enjoyed a revival, thanks to new, lighter, more hard-
wearing and less expensive building materials (fibre glass, plastic tubes) and the use of floating cages
rather than expensive glass and cast iron saltwater ponds. However, these new facilities turned out to
be commercially non-viable and the optimisation and stabilisation of marine fish production was a major
concern in the following decade. The start of the 21st century saw aquaculture take on great importance
worldwide. According to a report on fishing and aquaculture by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) in 2016, “In terms of global production volume, that of farmed fish and aquatic
plants combined surpassed that of capture fisheries in 2013”.

Different Types of Aquaculture

1. Mariculture

Mariculture needs seawater. This type of aquaculture is done either by the ocean, a segmented part of
the ocean, or in ponds containing seawater. Molluscs, shellfish, prawn, and seaweed are the marine
organisms often bred in such parts of the oceans.

Another great fragment of mariculture is the seaweeds. These seaweeds and species are used in
cosmetics and jwelry manufacturing industries. For instance, collagen extracted from seaweed is used in
some facial creams whereas pearls are hand-picked from molluscs and turned into stunning fashion
accessories.

2. Fish Farming

Needless to say that fish farming is the basic type of aquaculture. The process includes the careful
breeding of fish. It can be done in any freshwater, preferably seawater. This method of breeding helps
in creating a source for food and consumption.

Comparatively easier, the process of fish farming only needs proper water conditions and temperatures.
There is no need of a larger space for this type of farming as the breeding species such as tilapia are way
too small.

3. Algaculture

Algaculture involves the farming of algae. As we all know, algae are microbial organisms with
resemblance to animal and plant characteristics. For economic viability, they are harvested in huge
numbers. Algae are used for various purposes. An example of such application is the source of energy
for smartphones. Exxon mobile is working towards developing them as a new energy source.

4. Open-net pen and Cage Systems

Open-net pen and Cage systems are another types of aquaculture which are implanted offshore and in
freshwater lakes.
First, net cages of between 6 and 60 cubic feet (pens) are implanted in the water with the fish inside it.
With a high absorption of fish in the pens, water environments become purified from chemicals, wastes,
or parasites. The fishes in the net cages also entice predacious animals and bigger fish, which are get
trapped in the nets.

Amazing Benefits of Aquaculture

Studies proved that aquaculture has brought immense positive impact on the global food production
industry. Some of the amazing benefits of aquaculture are mentioned below:

1. Rich source of micronutrients and animal protein

Aquaculture or fish farming is considered as a great source of protein. Fish fulfills the day today
necessity of animal protein to more than 1 billion people worldwide with poor resources, which is a
product of aquaculture.

Micronutrients, found in fishes, are also important for proper cognitive and physical development of
children. Thus, aquaculture helps in overall development of people worldwide.

2. It conserves the aquatic population

Aquaculture helps in preserving the population of wild aquatic plants and other organisms by averting
the extinction of such species which is caused by unrestrained mistreatment.

3. A Nurturer of biodiversity and ecosystem

It is another great benefit of aquaculture. The techniques of aquaculture have resulted in the discovery
of ways in which diverse aquatic organisms and plants can coexist naturally. Thus, aquaculture helps in
decreasing environmental waste and augmenting the proper functioning of the ecosystem.

4. Employment Opportunities

Aquaculture also brings various career opportunities. As an emerging field of career, aqua farming will
create ample job opportunities.

Conclusion

To sum up, the aquaculture is an emerging industry for fish firming and conserving biodiversity. The
market will grow and create various opportunities in near future.