Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the controlled cultivation of aquatic organisms, such as fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and plants. Aquaculture may take place in oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, or manufactured tanks. The first known records of aquaculture are from China, circa 889–904 c.e., where carp was farmed in flooded rice fields. This system took advantage of excess water, while at the same time fertilizing the earth and clearing the land of weeds. Thirty percent of the marine products consumed today come from aquaculture, which is currently the world's fastestgrowing food producing sector.

Aquaculture has experienced rapid growth and expansion on a global scale since the 1980s, while most wild-capture fisheries are in decline. International development agencies and state and local governments herald aquaculture as a means of economic development, resource ...