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Fish farming or pisciculture involves commercial breeding of fish, most often for food, in fish tanks or artificial enclosures such as fish ponds. It is a particular type of aquaculture , which is the controlled cultivation and harvesting of aquatic animals such as fish, crustaceans , molluscs and so on, in natural or pseudo-natural environments.
Aquaculture is the most rapidly expanding food industry in the world [7] as a result of declining wild fisheries stocks and profitable business. [2] In 2008, aquaculture provided 45.7% of the fish produced globally for human consumption; increasing at a mean rate of 6.6% a year since 1970.
The aquaculture or farming of piscivorous fish, like salmon, does not help the problem because they need to eat products from other fish, such as fish meal and fish oil. Studies have shown that salmon farming has major negative impacts on wild salmon, as well as the forage fish that need to be caught to feed them.
The laboratory was expanded in the 1970s and 1980s to investigate serious disease risks threatening the expanding fish farming industry. During the 1980s research shifted towards determining drug residues in fish for human consumption and environmental problems associated with release of medicines from fish farms. [5]
Raising fish in cages in a lake in a relatively undeveloped environment. Urban aquaculture employs water-based systems, the most common, which mostly use cages and pens; land-based systems, which make use of ponds, tanks and raceways; recirculating systems are usually high control enclosed systems, [clarification needed] whereas irrigation is used for livestock fish.
The fish oil is effectively a by-product of this process that proves to be a rich source of energy and fatty acids for fish, including the important long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA now linked to the health benefits associated with eating oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. Fish in general also are good sources of many vitamins and ...
The main species of fish farmed in Canada is led by salmon with 70.5% of all fish in aquaculture followed by mussels with 15.1%. Aquaculture makes a significant contribution to Canada's economy totaling $2.1 billion in revenue and jobs in Canada in 2009.
Sustainable fish farming practices do not use dangerous chemicals, hormones, or antibiotics on their fish, which benefits the surrounding marine environment, and the human consumers themselves. In addition to this, sustainable fish farming is able to control what their fish eat: farmers will take care to keep the fish's diet healthy and balanced.