commercial fish in the world at or beyond the level at which they can sustain themselves In addition to dangerously depleting its target fish populations, modern fishing causes collateral damage to other species, the “bycatch” of undiscriminating nets and lines that is simply discarded, and it can damage ocean-bottom habitats Fishing is also an unpredictable, dangerous job, subject to the uncertainties of weather and the hazards of working at sea with heavy equipment To this highly problematic system of production, there is an increasingly important alternative: aquaculture, or fish farming, which in many parts of the world goes back thousands of years Today in the United States, all of the rainbow trout and nearly all of the catfish sold are farmed on land in various kinds of ponds and tanks Norway pioneered the ocean farming of Atlantic salmon in large offshore pens in the 1960s; and today more than a third of the salmon eaten in the world is farmed in Europe and North and South America About a third of the world warm-water shrimp harvest is cultured, mainly in Asia In all, about 70 species are now farmed worldwide Advantages and Drawbacks of Aquaculture There are several distinct advantages to aquaculture Above all, it allows the producer unequaled control over the condition of the fish and the circumstances of the harvest, both of which can result in better quality in the market Farmed fish can be carefully selected for rapid growth and other desirable characteristics, and raised to a uniform and ideal stage for eating By adjusting water temperature and flow rate and light levels, fish can be induced to grow far more rapidly than in the wild, and a balance can be struck between energy consumption and muscletoning exercise Farmed fish are often fattier and so more succulent They can be ... Advantages and Drawbacks of Aquaculture There are several distinct advantages to aquaculture Above all, it allows the producer unequaled control over the condition of the fish and the circumstances of the harvest, both of which can result in better quality in the. .. temperature and flow rate and light levels, fish can be induced to grow far more rapidly than in the wild, and a balance can be struck between energy consumption and muscletoning exercise Farmed fish are often fattier... of which can result in better quality in the market Farmed fish can be carefully selected for rapid growth and other desirable characteristics, and raised to a uniform and ideal stage for eating By adjusting water temperature and flow rate and light levels,