Monday June 29- Animal Science- Aquaculture

Aquaculture (shortened to AqC in these notes)

• AqC is the propagation, cultivation, & marketing of fish, shellfish, & plants from fresh, brackish, & salt water.
• AqC is agriculture: Farming in the water. Fishing is hunting. AgC is about domestication, where breeding is controlled and organisms are selected for particular traits & qualities.
• AqC production is acheived by human intervention involving physical control of the organism at some point in it's life cycle other than at harvest.
• Farming implies indiviual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated.

AqC goes beyond just harvesting. In 1996 AqC was recognized as agriculture therefore offering the same protection against "crop failures" that other farmers have.

AqC is the most efficient method of producing protein. In response to the starvation issues abroad in the 1940's (post-WWII), the US taught the countries how to use AqC to feed their populations.

AqC includes:

1. Finfish- fish with fins and usually scales. Includes all freshwater, marine, & brackish.
2. Shellfish- crustaceans; invertebrates that molt. Mollusks; invertebrates with large shells.
3. Seaweed- brown, red, & green algae
4. Other [didn't have enough time to copy from powerpoint]

AqC Applications

• food for direct human consumption
• as food for other AqC species
• bait for sport fishing
• recreational fishing (pond stocking)
• for restoration of wild stock
• experimental use
• biological control
• production of biofuel & biogas (seaweed)
• wastewater treatment
• misc market products; production of chemicals, skins, sponges, pearls
• ornamental or aquarium species

Benefits of AqC
- the supply of seafood no longer seems inexhaustable
- 40% of the world's seafood is from AqC

Feed Conversion Ratios (lb feed/lb meat)
cattle 7-8
swine 3-4
poultry 2 <-- most efficient land animal
catfish 1.5-2.0
salmon 1.1-2.1

*** feeding is the most expensive aspect of any food production industry***

Fish have better feed conversion because of they are cold blooded and do not have to regulate their temp. Also, the can float effortlessly and don't have gravity to impair their locomotion.

-The average person eats 15lbs of fish per year
-40% of today's shrimp is from AqC

When you look at a chart of how beef, poultry, fish, pork has been consumed:

• poultry has always been the most popular protein
• fish & poultry have never had any negative growth
• fish is consistently growing but never has steep changes like the other proteins do

-In the 1990's only catfish was AqC
-In 2006, most species are being produced by AqC
-Statistically, Asia produces the most fish through AqC (China #1, US #12 and falling lower every year)
-Chile has no naturally occuring salmon but is now the #1 producer of salmon
-Worldwide, carp is the #1 AqC species. It is hardy and low on the food chain.
-In the US catfish, trout, & salmon are the main AqC species

IN FLORIDA:
Tropical fish are the most lucretive AqC @ $115,645 per hectacre (~$50,000 acre)
Strawberries are about $3,000/acre