In simple words, a fish farm is a place where fish are raised for food. This part of agriculture is known as aquaculture. Fish in fish farms are bred in tanks and sold to people for consumption. There are thousands of fish farms in the world. Fish farming is the fastest method of growing fish in the world. You will be surprised to know that more than half of the globally consumed fish is produced in these fish farms.

What are the common species of fish in these farms?

Common species of fish include salmon, trout, cod, halibut, tilapia, catfish, carp, and tuna. These are the cliché species of fish that are bred in these farms. Keep in mind though, every fish farm in the world breeds different species of fish. Therefore there is no particular fixed category of fish that are a part of these farms. More than 1.5 billion people in the world consume fish. That means every country and area has a different liking for a particular species.

Why do fish farms have a bad reputation?

Every year, people consume 66 million tons of fish, which is why it is important for fish farms to produce a handsome amount of fish. Though fish farming has a very bad reputation around the globe, people don’t despise eating fish throughout the year. There are many reasons why eating fish from a fish farm is not suggested by many experts. Fish farming has to produce fish at a double rate as compared to how fish are produced normally. Fish farms are overcrowded and dirty in most parts of the world.

This is why an average fish from a fish farm is regarded as unhygienic and not suitable for consumption. One downside is fish farms also provide antibiotic dosing to the fishes so that they can breed at a faster rate. However, in many parts of the world, fish farms are clean, and many of them don’t provide antibiotic doses to the fish. The new aquaculture is described by many as clean and high tech as compared to traditional fish farms.

What does the UN report say?

After analyzing the conditions of the modern fish farms, UN has a special report on the aquaculture sector. The report says that this sector will grow by 50% in the next ten years. This means we will be able to farm as many fish as we catch by 2030. The quantity will surpass a whopping figure of 90 million tons in future. Though there are other options on the market such as beef, pork, and chicken, the demand for fish is unmatched.

How unhealthy is a farmed fish?

One of the most common stereotypical myths that continues to hound fish farms is that they are all bad. Graham Young, director of publicly funded Western Regional Aquaculture Center believes that fish farms have a bad PR that is why their reputation is compromised. He believes that fish farms should open their doors for the media so they can shed light on the positive work they do, and all high tech equipment they now have. He also says that fish farms have improved greatly.

Modern researchers are making many efforts to improve the quality of fish being farmed. Have they ever heard of Global Salmon initiative? You must visit their website to know about high tech methods they are using to provide healthy fish to the customers. So one can assume that the quality of fish will be directly proportional to the quantity of fish grown on fish farms in the future. Aquaculture is a major business sector that contributes to the economy of many countries.

So next time somebody tells you that farmed fish is bad, you must conduct an in-depth research to know the truth with facts and figures.