The Adventures of Aquaculture
Arapahoe High School
Austin Roush
Prepared Public Speaking Manuscript
November 6, 2017
Imagine you were at saw a river and you looked closer, you saw the minnows swimming by the bank and also noticed carp sucking air on the top. Then, you see a catfish swimming downstream. You sat there and looked at it. What did you do? Most likely you moved on and did not really think much about it.What you need to be doing is staring at that river and seeing the amazing thing that aquaculture has to offer. Aquaculture is an amazing thing that affects your daily lives. If we did not have aquaculture do you think you would even know what fishing is?
Aquaculture is the breeding, raising, and harvesting of fish, shellfish,
…show more content…
When good practices are used, it is possible to farm seafood in a way that has very little impact to the environment. Such operations limit habitat damage, disease, escapes of farmed fish and the use of wild fish as feed. (https://www.seafoodwatch.org/ocean-issues/aquaculture, 2017)
To meet this demand there are many different types of production aquaculture types. Aquaculture includes the production of seafood from hatchery fish and shellfish which are grown to market size in ponds, tanks, cages, or raceways. (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/what_is_aquaculture.html, 2017)
There are many ways to farm marine shellfish, including “seeding” small shellfish on the seafloor or by growing them in sinking or floating cages. Marine fish farming is typically done in net pens in the water or in tanks on land. U.S. freshwater aquaculture produces species such as catfish and trout.
Marine aquaculture refers to the culturing of species that live in the ocean. Marine aquaculture produces mostly oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, and salmon as well as lesser amounts of cod, moi, yellowtail, barramundi, seabass, and seabream. (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/what_is_aquaculture.html,
…show more content…
When good practices are used, it is possible to farm seafood in a way that has very little impact to the environment. Such operations limit habitat damage, disease, escapes of farmed fish and the use of wild fish as feed. (https://www.seafoodwatch.org/ocean-issues/aquaculture, 2017)
The environmental impact of fish farming varies widely, depending on the species being farmed, the methods used and where the farm is located. When good practices are used, it is possible to farm seafood in a way that has very little impact to the environment. Such operations limit habitat damage, disease, escapes of farmed fish and the use of wild fish as feed. (https://www.seafoodwatch.org/ocean-issues/aquaculture, 2017)
Freshwater aquaculture produces species that are native to rivers, lakes, and streams. U.S. freshwater aquaculture is dominated by catfish but also produces trout, tilapia, and bass. (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/what_is_aquaculture.html,
Overfishing may have some benefits to it, but does it out way the negatives? By fulfilling our demand we can wipe out our whole oceans! Not just the fish, but water mammals too. Sure it can create jobs, but as what cost? It can help bring up our economy, but at the same time it can bring it down with many fish companies closing down due to lack of profit. Fish is a great source of nutrients, but too much can kill you! In other words, fish can be both beneficial and harmful to not only humans, but everyone and everything surrounding fish. There are three things people can do to help with overfishing, the first thing is to be aware of what you are eating. Is the fish on the fear of extinction list? Also asking yourself is the fish you’re about to eat really the fish you intend to eat? Another thing to ask is, was it shipped over seas? If it was it doesn’t benefit anyone, it won’t help the economy or you. Many fish shipped from a long ways creates pollution and may have lost its nutrients value from the long voyage. One last thing to do is if you see a sewer with a sign leading to the ocean, try not to leave trash near it, or better yet don’t litter at all! All the litter left out on streets or near sewers can cause pollution in oceans, lakes, and rivers which is very harmful for marine life. You can still enjoy fish, but not at such a high demand as
Not all fish caught are utilized as food for humans. Popular supplements such as Omega-3 are derived from commercially caught fish. In addition to that daily usage products like fertilizers, cosmetic ingredients, vitamins, gelatins and even pigments can all be prepared from by products of fish that has been commercially caught.
The following statements are the Seafood Watch’s message to the public: the “program helps consumers and businesses choose seafood that’s fished or farmed in ways that support a healthy ocean, now and for future generations. Our recommendations indicate which seafood items are best choices or good alternatives, and which ones you should avoid” (Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation 2018). Even though this program focuses on the general safety, fishery management practices, and sources regarding which seafood is sustainable, they also keep track of potential chemical poisoning of seafood (such as mercury, lead, and other chemical levels). This allows the public to become aware of HAB effects and other causes of toxicity within different seasons of harvesting. The Monterey Bay Aquarium also performs conservation measures and spreads awareness about the other pollutant, which will be mentioned later
There is one species of Atlantic salmon and five species of Pacific. Atlantic salmon account for almost 95 percent of the farmed salmon produced, and most of them are farm-raised on the pacific coast. Pacific species account for all of the wild salmon caught in the Americas and some of them are also farm-raised. No wild Atlantic salmon are fished commercially in North America, as they are an endangered species.
However, Japan, one of the first countries to develop salmon hatchery program, as well as, an extensive aquaculture program receives the major credit for Japans eighty percent overall salmon production in the 1990’s. Moreover, this form of aquaculture is a principle source of fish not only in the United States, but also globally with China, now being the world’s largest producer with fish. Although, the practice of salmon aquaculture were thought to have developed via the Danish system of raising rainbow trout in freshwater
The Bluefin tuna, Thunnus Thynnus, is a top predator of the oceans, and the most valuable fish in the world. David Attenborough once called it a “superfish”. Despite its Darwinian advantages commercial fisheries have exploited Bluefin for decades, and the population has fallen to an estimated 36% of its already depleted 1970 level1. Originally, fish were caught by rod and reel, one by one. During the 1980s commercial fisheries developed techniques, such as the use of long lines, drift nets and purse seines to catch thousands of these animals at a time. These techniques have obliterated the population of Bluefin in just a few decades. They also wreak havoc on the ocean killing millions of sea turtles, sharks, whales, dolphins- pretty much every living creature they come across. In 2007 the WWF warned of the imminent collapse of the Mediterranean population, in their article “Bluefin Tuna in Crisis”. However, this has not reduced the efforts of fisheries to catch these majestic creatures; with more boats chasing fewer and fewer fish, the species is being driven towards extinction. This common is being overused and could tragically disappear in the near future unless drastic changes are made. Both fishermen and consumers, as well as everyone who is affiliated with nature to some degree will be affected. The responsibility to prevent this tragedy is everyone’s, but business should lead the way in making commercial Bluefin fishing sustainable. Otherwise our planet will begin to look similar to Old MacDonald’s farm.
Also growing fish and shellfish as cash crops or for release into freshwater or saltwater. Construction is also a big aspect, like designing and constructing pens, floating stations, and collector strings or fences for sea farms.
Since nearly the beginning of human history fishing has been an integral part of the culture and survival of coastal communities. These coastal communities and cities have always been some of the most prosperous and successful because of the added resource of the ocean. In the beginning many areas were so densely populated with fish and shellfish that often a day’s worth of food could be caught by simply wading into the shallows. For example, some of the first English settlers to see the Chesapeake Bay described “The abundance of oysters is incredible. There are whole banks of them so that the ships must avoid them. . . . They surpass those in England by far in size, indeed, they are four times as large. I often cut them in two, before I could put them into my mouth” (Miller). This abundance had every appearance of being as infinite as the ocean that produced it but the reality was far different. Many fish stocks, including the oyster, stayed near these high levels even into the beginning of the industrial era. However the new rapid pace of technological advancement proved too much for many stocks to handle. Close shore stocks took most damage as they were the easiest to exploit. Those same oyster colonies that were once an obstacle for boats were nearly eradicated by “the 1890s harvests began to decline. Many oyster beds were destroyed and reefs had been mined away. By the 1920s, the boom was over…” (Miller). While catastrophes like this inspired many sustainable practices there are still fisheries worldwide that are headed for a similar end. Through ignorance and misinformation from the fishing industry most of the general public does not know that this is occurring. The following will serve to inform about the t...
About 600 marine and freshwater species are caught and sold for local and global consumption.
U.S. Food And Drug Administration (2013, July 23). An overview of Atlantic salmon, its natural history, aquaculture, and genetic engineering. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/VeterinaryMedicineAdvisoryCommittee/ucm222635.htm
Overfishing is a harmful practice, that will eventually lead to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems, if it’s not dealt with promptly. Overfishing emerges from the combination of our over consumptive society mixed with the great profits that come from hauling in a good catch. The consumers demand for fish in Japan seems to be at an increasingly high rate due to the enjoyment and cultural values that arise from sushi and other traditional dishes involving seafood. Approximately 23 percent of Japan’s protein intake comes from the ocean, and as a nation consumes 7.5 million tonnes of seafood annually. CITATION
The number of fish that have been hunted is remarkable and the effects are irredeemable. According to Dan Barber, “we’ve been fishing the seas like we clear-cut forests” (How I Fell in Love with a Fish 1:13). The comparison of the destruction of fish to the way the world has catastrophically destroyed forests is shattering. Nature’s food web is so flimsy and easily broken that “the loss of even one species can disrupt an entire ecosystem” (Karr et al., p. 181). Even the smallest species that seems insignificant can lead to the environment being affected, every species is connected and has multiple relationships and connections. There are different species that rely on fish for energy transferred through the food chain and the population is managed through what each species consumes. Yet, just like in the meat industry, the fish industry regards the sale and distribution of fish on a higher scale than the actual environment of the
Increasing Sustainability in the Fishing Industry Sustainability is a word that you hear more and more today as the conscious consumer has turned to more forward looking thinking as it applies to the environment. As you can expect sustainability plays a large part in the food people are purchasing and the fishing industry has ramped up their focus in providing a sustainable product. Sustainable seafood suppliers employ methods that reduce bycatch and simultaneously promote both small and large business distribution while improving seafood quality. All seafood harvested within the United States is in fact sustainable, as the U.S. has developed a comprehensive process to ensure quality as well as monitor and improve the sustainability programs fisheries have in place.
The sun is shining, and the sky is crystal clear. The air around me is crisp and cool, reminding me that autumn is just around the corner. Trout season at the Chattahoochee River is coming to a close. I know that today is the day that I will catch my first fish ever.
One of the most unique creatures are fish. As I am sitting here in my room, my fish are swimming about with not a care in the world. I wonder what it would feel like to be a fish.