Preface
A Chinese proverb says something like the following:
Give a man a fish and he will have food for a day,
Teach a man how to fish and he will have food for a lifetime.
To that we might add:
Teach a man how to grow fish and he can feed the world.
As we shall see, the production of aquatic plants and animals – a subject we call
aquaculture – takes a variety of forms, including items that enter the human
food supply. That is the primary type of aquaculture discussed in this book, but
it is far from the only type that is practised as you will see in Chapter 1.
The purpose of this book is to introduce you to the subject of aquaculture
and to acquaint you with some of the techniques involved in aquatic organism –
primarily aquatic animal – production. The emphasis is placed on shellfish –
such things as oysters, scallops, mussels and shrimp – as well as on finfish.
Both fresh- and saltwater culture are included.
Many books on aquaculture look at details on how to produce a particular
type of animal: shrimp or salmon, for example. That approach is excellent for
the student or practitioner who has decided on a particular species or species
group upon which to concentrate. For the general reader who wants to gain
some knowledge of the breadth of aquaculture, a different approach is
required. Here, we discuss all aspects of aquaculture, from business planning
through site and water system selection, to management of the system once it
is in operation.
Aquaculture is a combination of natural science, business management
and tradecraft. The successful aquaculturist needs to have many tools in his or
her toolbox, or lacking those tools, needs to be a member of a team that brings
all the proper tools to the enterprise. Increasingly, individuals who select aquaculture
as a profession have received some formal education in the field. This is particularly true of practitioners from developed countries, whether they
work in one of those countries or in a developing nation. Whereas there were
very few aquaculture and related courses available at the college level 35 years
ago, many colleges and universities now offer degrees in the subject.
Increasingly, there are also aquaculture classes or at least some aquaculture
activity available in high schools as well.
Over the past several years, strong opposition to certain types of aquaculture
and to aquaculture in certain environments has developed due to concern
about environmental degradation as a result of aquaculture practices.
Aquaculturists, who once saw themselves as doing good by producing aquatic
plants and animals to feed people (I like to think of them as the cowboys in the
white hats), suddenly became villains in the eyes of critics (cowboys in the black
hats). The perception that aquaculture is a bad thing, whether supported by the
facts or not, became reality after being repeated over and over and after being
picked up by the various forms of media: print and electronic. The response of
the aquaculture community to the critics has received much less attention,
though it has been significant. The topic has taken up an incredible amount of
time over the past couple of decades and is discussed in some detail in this
book. Tiersch and Hargreaves (2002) discussed how the aquaculture community
can respond sensibly to the controversy that surrounds their profession.
Lists of additional sources of information can be found at the end of each
chapter. Those of you who have caught or will catch the aquaculture fever and
would like to delve more deeply into the complex and very interesting world of
aquatic plant and animal production are encouraged to look at the wealth of
additional, and often much more technical, material that exists. The sources
listed under the Additional Reading sections at the end of the chapters are
mostly books, since they are readily available in many libraries and from booksellers,
particularly booksellers who have internet sites. The books contain
thousands of additional references to the scientific literature.
Aquaculture is a risky business. Some who have been involved with the
subject for a number of years have indicated that commercial aquaculturists
should include, in their balance sheets, plans for a total crop failure once
every six or seven years. In addition, the aquaculturist is, in most cases, at the
mercy of the marketplace in terms of how much money will be obtained upon
sale of the product.
While risky and requiring a lot of hard work, aquaculture can also be highly
satisfying. It is often a family activity as well. Salmon fishermen in Norway are
commonly also salmon farmers. While one spouse is off on a commercial fishing
boat, the other spouse and children tend the fish cages.
Speaking of family involvement, when I was a graduate student conducting
research on channel catfish, there were many nights when thunderstorms
caused power failures. You would find my wife, Carolan, standing with me
splashing water with paddles in fish tanks to help maintain the oxygen level
until the power was restored: hard work lasting into the wee hours of the
morning, yes. But we also have looked back on such experiences with fond
memories, particularly since we were able to save the fish upon which my doctoral degree depended. Fish farming may mean the occasional vehicle in a pond, tractor stuck in
the mud, getting grabbed on the thumbs by an aggressive crab or getting
spined by a fingerling catfish. Frustrating, and sometimes costly or painful
when such things happen, at least some of them are looked back on as
humorous incidents months or years later. My experience with aquaculture has
involved teaching, research and providing advice. I have never had to raise a
crop for a profit, but I fully understand the difficulties involved and also the
pride when one sees the crop on the truck headed for the market. My hat is
off to those who are commercial aquaculturists. To those who read this book,
my intention is to provide you with some insight into the complexity of this discipline
we call aquaculture.
Robert R. Stickney, PhD.
Hearne, Texas