A
wide range of fish and shellfish are produced by the aquaculture
industry worldwide. Familiar examples include salmon, trout, warm
water prawns, sea bass, sea bream, turbot, tilapia, oysters, scallops
and mussels. Other species being farmed in increasing quantities
include cod and halibut. Both of these species are starting to
be farmed on a commercial scale here in the UK.
The
different aquaculture terms are:
.
• Farmed – eggs bred in captivity and grown
through to harvest.
.
• Sea reared – young stocks are caught in the
wild and then grown on to harvest, e.g. mussels.
.
• Sea ranching – Juveniles are bred in captivity
and then released into the wild. A small percentage (2-5%) are
subsequently caught when they mature, e.g. lobsters.
Fish
and shellfish farms in the UK and Europe have to be registered
and the fish and shellfish are inspected for health, hygiene and
welfare regularly. Individual farms and their associations are
working to raise standards and maintain a healthy environment.
Current
initiatives include:
.
• Developing and promoting codes of practice to ensure
cultivation sites and stocks are well managed.
.
• Addressing issues relating to the supply of fishmeal
and fish oil in aquaculture feeds. Sourcing feeds from sustainably
managed and accredited fisheries is becoming a priority.
.
• Investigating better use of feed on site through
the development of improved feeding systems.
