Aquaculture is a general term that describes the farming of fish and other aquatic animals. Aquaculture is conducted in three different forms: extensive, intensive and semi-intensive. There are advantages and challenges to each approach. Let’s find out more about these different kinds of aquaculture!
With extensive aquaculture, it is the same as allowing fish to roam freely in a large pond or lake. You are essentially providing them with a huge play ground to discover! This technique requires less human labor, making it easier on farmers.
Large scale aquaculture is a good thing as it allows fish to live in a much more natural environment. They have enough room to swim and develop but are not overcrowded. It is a more natural process since it uses sunlight and nutrients in the water, making it better for the Earth.
Intensive aquaculture is about maximizing fish production. For example, by keeping fish inside tanks, farmers have more control over food and water quality. It results in faster and bigger fish development so simply more fish can be caught in lesser time.
Intensive aquaculture also enables farmers to catch fish year-round, regardless of the weather. But this approach requires a lot of resources, such as electricity and food. Those are some challenges, farmers need to ensure that they take care of the environment now.
Semi-intensive aquaculture is a hybrid of the two methods previously mentioned. Intensive systems give fish less room to swim but more care than extensive systems do; in the latter type, the fish receive more space to swim in than in intensive systems, but less care from farmers. This method allows farmers to produce more fish while maintaining a natural ecosystem for them.
New tools are being deployed to monitor fish health and growth more readily in intensive systems. That helps farmers make better decisions about how to take care of the fish. In semi-intensive systems, farmers are experimenting with feeding strategies to enhance fish growth and minimize waste.
