The consumption of fish is increasing with each passing day and therefore fish farming is considered to be the answer in order to make the demand and supply of fish meet. Unlike the rest of the world which treats aquaculture as a commercial enterprise used for the production of saltwater and freshwater fish, this has been an integral part of ancient tradition in the case of Chinese farmers who have been looking after carp ponds and the fishermen who live in the Amazon basin.
Raising fishes in captivity in a certain manner is what fish farming is all about and thus it requires a lot of labor as well as resources. Of course it also provides employment opportunities to many people. Earlier fish farming was done in natural habitats such as inland waterways, sea shores, oceans etc but these days it has advanced and now is carried out in man-made habitats such as artificial ponds, enclosures, large tanks, etc so as to meet the high demand for fishes.
While the initial efforts in promoting aquaculture were aimed towards augmenting this edible marine population, over a period of time several problems have emerged which have raised a question mark on the viability of such projects. Apart from impacting the environment, there are other negative aspects related to raising fish in captivity as well most of which relate to the health of fish eaters.
All species which are bred in captivity require to be fed on a regular basis and the fish are no exceptions to this rule. Apart from vegetarian feed, there are other types of dietary requirements for carnivorous fishes. Because of the fact that these feed come from natural reservoirs, they hamper the natural cycle as a huge amount of wild fishes are captured in order to feed the carnivorous population in the fish farms. Thus compared to the protein lost, the protein produced by such farms is extremely meager.
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.
A sustainable fish farming method needs to be invented to address this problem. Such a method should make fish farming into an eco- friendly undertaking and improve on its management. To achieve these objectives farmers must take responsibility and the consumers should get sensitized sufficiently to influence their decisions.
Raising fishes in captivity in a certain manner is what fish farming is all about and thus it requires a lot of labor as well as resources. Of course it also provides employment opportunities to many people. Earlier fish farming was done in natural habitats such as inland waterways, sea shores, oceans etc but these days it has advanced and now is carried out in man-made habitats such as artificial ponds, enclosures, large tanks, etc so as to meet the high demand for fishes.
While the initial efforts in promoting aquaculture were aimed towards augmenting this edible marine population, over a period of time several problems have emerged which have raised a question mark on the viability of such projects. Apart from impacting the environment, there are other negative aspects related to raising fish in captivity as well most of which relate to the health of fish eaters.
All species which are bred in captivity require to be fed on a regular basis and the fish are no exceptions to this rule. Apart from vegetarian feed, there are other types of dietary requirements for carnivorous fishes. Because of the fact that these feed come from natural reservoirs, they hamper the natural cycle as a huge amount of wild fishes are captured in order to feed the carnivorous population in the fish farms. Thus compared to the protein lost, the protein produced by such farms is extremely meager.
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.
A sustainable fish farming method needs to be invented to address this problem. Such a method should make fish farming into an eco- friendly undertaking and improve on its management. To achieve these objectives farmers must take responsibility and the consumers should get sensitized sufficiently to influence their decisions.
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