As the demand for seafood has increased, technology has made it possible to grow food in coastal marine waters and the open ocean. Aquaculture is a method used to produce food and other commercial products, restore habitat and replenish wild stocks, and rebuild populations of threatened and endangered species.

Why has fish farming increased?

Another reason fish farms are thriving is due to the struggles that wild fishing is dealing with. Overfishing has depleted stocks the world over, often as a result of bycatches, where unwanted sea life is caught by accident. This has led to a renewed emphasis on aquaculture.

When did aquaculture become popular?

The aquaculture industry is the fastest growing sector in United States agriculture, increasing over 20 percent annually in the 1980s and early 1990s. Early development of aquaculture in the United States was stimulated by interest in recreational fishing.