Fish Farms – Past, Present and Future

Fish farming is the answer to the fish shortage, occasioned by the increasing demand worldwide. The Chinese farmers and fishermen from the Amazon basin who have grown up with carp ponds regard aquaculture as a part of an ancient practice. However, the rest of the world views aquaculture as a business where different varieties of both fresh and salt water are produced with aim of making profits.

Originally promoted in an effort to supplement the supply of this marine population, the viability of aquaculture projects however came in doubt with the passage of time. They were not only found to negatively impact the environment, but there was also the question of ethics involved in raising fish in captivity and health related issues arising from the same.

Like all species which are bred in captivity, fish in fish farms need to be fed and their diet ranges from being vegetarian to carnivorous, meaning wild fish. Since these are supplied from the natural reservoirs, it puts a strain on the natural cycle and an additional concern is that when a staggering amount of wild fish are crushed into feed for the fish farms, the overall loss of protein is much higher than that produced by the farm.

Since the accumulated waste from the farms such as feces, food leftovers and dead fish litters the neighborhood aquaculture has also proved to be an environmental hazard. These wastes eventually find their way to the lakes and oceans causing marine pollution which in turn poses a threat to the marine life and that of the fish consumers.

Fish which at times finds their way out of the net-pens can travel for long distance from where they are reared. In the process they compete for food with the wild species and mate with them thus passing on diseases previously unknown to affect wild species amongst other traits. This cross breeding also accounts for the changed behavior pattern of the wild fish thus resulting in anomalies.

In order to create fish farms, long and endless stretches of mangrove forests were destroyed and with their disappearance, the natural shield against hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis also vanished. Much of the devastation along the coastal areas is attributed to the loss of this habitat due to the establishment of fish and shrimp farms.

The solution to these concerns is to seek sustainable fish farming methods by making these farms eco-friendly as well as better managed. In order to accomplish this goal, not only should the farmers assume responsibility but even the consumers must be educated so as to enable them to make healthy choices.

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