Aquaculture and Marine Conservation
Fulfilling a Need While Protecting Resources
Aquaculture, the process growing aquatic plants and animals, both salt and freshwater, for mainly human consumption has been around for thousands of years. While the benefits of aquaculture don't always outweigh the impacts, there are a few examples where it has shown to have a positive impact.
Tilapia Farming: Providing a Reliable Source of Protein
In the last few years as the demand for sea food has been surpassing the oceans ability to provide, Tilapia farming has been on the rise. The success of Tilapia as a commercially viable species can be attributed to the fish themselves.
Tilapia, the common name for a group of cichlid fish species, grow best in warmer waters. Tilapia were originally found in Africa, but spread to other areas of the world as they were introduced for human consumption.
Tilapia are hardy fish that are omnivorous, meaning that they eat most everything. One of the biggest issues in many branches of aquaculture, such as those that raise salmon, is the need to catch fish to feed the fish that are being grown. If considering the impact on the ocean, it is still negative if fish are being caught to feed other fish.
Tilapia are found in water from seventy-six to eighty-four degrees Fahrenheit, with colder water being harmful, even deadly if it is cold enough. With needs on water this high, Tilapia can be kept in completely contained aquaculture facilities that provide an environment suitable to their needs but that could be completely different from the outside.
The food weight payoff from farming Tilapia can be seen in how much you get from each fish. On average, a nearly two pound fish can give a seven to nine ounce filet. With fast growth rates, it's easy to produce a lot of Tilapia that result in a lot of food in a short amount of time.
In 2002, by fisheries estimates, 1.5 million metric tons of Tilapia was produced in aquaculture worldwide. This made it third in the world behind Carp and Salmonids.
Abalone Aquaculture: Removing Pressure From a Threatened Species
In the case of the endangered abalone, aquaculture has stepped in to full the role of supplier to ease the pressure from a quickly disappearing population.
While the recreational fishing of abalone is highly regulated, there is still currently no commercial fishery for the animal. However, there still exists a market for the meat, especially in Asia.
Many abalone farms specialize in one part of the abalone life-cycle, such as the seed (larval abalone), and sell their product either to other major producers or to small farms to continue the growing process on their own.
As a tool for conservation, the abalone farms have effectively taken the human consumption pressure off the wild populations and give them a chance to recover under other regulations.
In 2007, the leading producers of abalone meat and seed included China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Australia.
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