Why Aquaculture Is A Great Industry

The biggest reason is demand. As the world population continues to grow and the benefits of fish in the diet are realized demand will only continue to soar. Nobel prize-winner and economist Peter F. Drucker said it all, “Aquaculture, not the Internet, represents the most promising investment opportunity of the 21st century.” Those are some powerful words coming from someone who has a great mind in economics.

The United States is known for its consumer driven economy where industries can flourish almost overnight based on improved demand. A few good examples of this include the US catfish industry which grew by 100,000 tons (220 million lbs) in the mid 90s. The Chilean salmon industry has grown from exporting just $159 million in 1991 to exporting over $1.7 billion in 2005, and now employs 53,000 people. Probably the best example is the US demand for tilapia which has gone from importing virtually nothing to importing 270,000 tons (600 million lbs) in 2005.

All of this information can be very exciting and it shows how important aquaculture will be in the future as demands continue to grow. However there is a side to all of this that leaves aquaculture in limbo. The biggest issue is the resistance that many aquaculture projects face in the US. United States imports of fish are growing at a rapid rate and are only second to petroleum in dollar value. This is not because we don’t have the technology or ability to start new businesses. Concern is stirred up when you consider whether or not new laws and legislation will be put in place to allow this industry to prosper. The bottom line is that if production is not done here on our own soil our fish deficit will only continue to rise and new innovations to improve sustainability will not be realized.

Note: This is post is by no means a negative view on other countries that have seen aquaculture productions grow. This is simply an insight on the industry that is aquaculture and its possibilities for a brighter future in the United States.

This website is designed to bring all countries and all fish farmers together to collaborate and talk aquaculture. We can all learn from each others mistakes and successes; we hope that everyone can learn from one another.

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3. Why Aquaculture Interests Me

About the author

Mike

I created AquacultureTalk.com to bring the aquaculture community together. I have a vision for an international website that allows all members to both submit articles and take part in article discussions. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say in the world of aquaculture.

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