Commercial aquaculture
Most aquaculture production has always had a commercial aspect to it, even in the case of farmers producing carp in a household pond. Though the main use of the fish from simple traditional pond systems in Asia has generally been for domestic consumption, there was always opportunity to sell or barter any small surplus for other goods. With development, and the exposure of populations to consumerism, even the poorer members of rural societies have come to want access to more than just food, clothing and shelter. A bicycle or a motorbike, a radio, television, better furniture and household fittings are now on most of the world's wish list as the minimum possessions that a family needs, if they are to consider they have an acceptable living standard.
The aim to have income to educate children also, and move towards a better economic level by the next generation, has added to the drift from the country to the towns in many developing countries and, for those who remain in the country, the wish to produce saleable crops. This has been a more recent trend in Asia, whilst in Africa, even the smallest quantity of fish produced by a small-scale farmer has long been considered as a cash crop.
Aquaculture has filled the need for cash income quite readily. As farmers have become more proficient at producing fish or prawns in freshwater ponds, turned their hand to farming molluscs or seaweed along the coast, or taken up shrimp farming in coastal ponds, many have seen a dramatic improvement in their standard of living, through having commercial quantities of fish etc. to sell or trade.
In Latin America, Europe and in North America, much of the aquaculture development over recent decades has been led by larger commercial companies or wealthy entrepreneurslarger commercial companies or wealthy entrepreneurs have led much of the aquaculture development over recent decades. The salmon farming and shrimp farming industries in particular, require capital investment that is typically beyond the reach of the poor. But these industries have made a significant contribution to poverty alleviation, often in remote rural areas, through employment, stimulation of the local economy and generation of foreign exchange. The total value of aquaculture production had a value of US$70.3 billion in 2004, a substantial contribution to world cash flows. At the same time much additional employment and wealth has been created in other supply and spin-off industries.
Commercial aquaculturists in both the small- and large-scale sectors increasingly have to face not only the challenge of developing the necessary technologies to farm successfully, but also to ensure their activities are sustainable and do not have adverse effects on the environment. This is important partly because at the farm level, pollution can adversely affect production, but also in the markets, as consumers are becoming more aware of these issues and demanding that the food they buy has been reared in a positive environmental way.
The trend towards the increasing commercial nature of aquaculture is likely to continue. As in all commercial activity there will be winners and losers, but the sector is set to improve the living standards of the great majority of its participants and has the potential to make a real difference in alleviating poverty and making food supplies more secure throughout the world.