Fisheries

Introduction

The term fishery refers to the process of cultivating and harvesting fish and other aquatic creatures or the site where such activity takes place (fishing ground). Commercial fisheries (about 10% of total capture) include wild fisheries and fish farms (about 90%) in freshwater and saltwater habitats. Fisheries provide living to nearly 500 million people throughout the world. Although overfishing is becoming more of a worry, resulting in fish population declines in some locations.

Fish farming

Fish farming is the commercial production of fish in an enclosure or in an area that is cordoned off from the presence of water by cages or open nets. Two of the popular types of fish farming include; 

• Extensive fish farming
• Intensive fish farming 

These include practices like fish farming, fish hatchery, aquaculture, and others.

A fish farm and a fish hatchery can hold up to 500,000 or more numbers of fish. A fish hatchery intends to raise younger fish and then release them into the wild, with the intention of safeguarding and increasing the population of certain species. A fish farm, on the other hand, is designed to raise fish until they reach the optimal age and size for commercial value. The fish are eventually collected and sold, usually as raw or as a produced food item.

Fish farming is the most popular type of aquaculture and it includes trout, salmon, catfish, cod, carp, and Siamese.

Aquaculture of fish, on the other hand, is a controversial practice. Salmon farming, for example, on Canada’s west coast typically uses species native to the Atlantic Ocean. Fish do escape into the wild, raising fears that their presence in an environment that isn’t natural to them may destabilize marine ecosystems. 

Techniques used in fish farming

First method

The cage method, in which fish are housed in enclosures placed in lakes, ponds, and oceans, is the initial approach. This method is also known as offshore agriculture. After being “artificially fed,” fish are held in cage-like structures and harvested.

Second method

The second alternative is to raise fish in a pond or irrigation canal. The presence of a water-holding ditch or pond is the most basic requirement for this method. This is a one-of-a-kind process in which small-scale fish are purposefully fed, and the waste produced by the fish is then used to fertilize farmers’ land. Because it promotes algae for fish food, the pond is self-sustaining on a larger scale, generally in ponds.

Third method

Composite fish culture is the third method of fish farming, and it is a type of fish farming that allows both domestic and exotic fish species to coexist in the same pond. Although a single pond can house up to six different fish species, the number of species varies. Fish species are carefully chosen to ensure that they can coexist.

Fourth method

The fourth type of fish farming, integrated recycling systems, is considered the most large-scale “pure” fish farming technology. This approach makes use of large plastic tanks that are housed within a greenhouse, with hydroponic beds strategically placed near the plastic tanks. The waste from the fish meal is utilized to feed the plant crops growing in the aquatic beds, and the water in the acrylic tanks is pumped to the aquatic beds. The majority of the plants in the hydroponic beds are herbs like parsley and basil.

Fifth method

The “flow-through method,” also known as “traditional fry farming,” is the final type of fish farming technology. When sport fish species are bred from eggs and subsequently released into streams, this is known as spawning.

Fishery development

Fisheries and aquaculture are important economic activities in the country, with significant potential for extracting a variety of inland and marine fisheries resources sustainably. NFDB has been essential in enhancing fish productivity and production in the country and coordinating fisheries growth in a holistic and integrated manner under the guidance of the Fisheries Department.

NFDB has been at the forefront of implementing a few key projects based on accessible technology by supporting their ‘Lab to Land’ transfer so that overall fish area and output may be quickly enhanced.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Dairy has two departments: the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Fishery Division was separated from the previous Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy, and Fisheries on February 5, 2019.

World Fisheries Day

World Fisheries Day is celebrated every year on November 21. The day’s main purpose is to highlight the importance of internationally sustainable fisheries stocks. It also touches on related topics, including the value of healthy oceans, ecosystem balance, and the environment.

Conclusion

Here we learned about the fisheries business and how it has advanced with different methods at present. We have mentioned different techniques that are used in fish farming as well. The fish business has been the main source of income of many states of India; hence development in this field can be significant for the overall economic growth of the country.