It’s that time of the year when we like to get our seafood fill while sitting by the beach.
But your meal could be more environmentally beneficial than you thought, thanks to aquaculture.
NOAA defines aquaculture as “breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish and aquatic plants. Basically, it’s farming in water.”
There are some cons when it comes to the industry, with news of overfishing, pollution and harming the environment, but it can also do a lot of good for us and the sea life and the ocean itself.
Shellfish
Unfortunately, disease, parasite outbreaks and pollution have led to the decline of shellfish along coastal areas.
The Department of Agriculture states shellfish can help remove bacteria and viruses from water, control algae blooms, provide habitats for fish and help control shoreline erosion.
In aquaculture, shellfish farms play an important role by restoring all those benefits of shellfish.
(Pexels/Elle Hughes)
Restoring endangered species
Overfishing, due to the growing demand for seafood, has led to the decline of wild stocks of fish.
Creating farms for fish can help boost those numbers. Those farmed fish can provide food for people while wild fish grow and replenish their habitats.
Providing more food
As our population continues to grow, it’s tough to feed so many people.
With aquaculture farms also growing around the world, it’s easier to provide more food for people.
Not to mention, according to the Washington State Department of Health, seafood is a great, healthy addition to anyone’s diet.
(Pexels/Kindel Media)
Helps create jobs
Seafood isn’t just for the summer. Fish, oysters and lobsters grow and get harvested in the colder months, which means it’s a year-round job.
This means the fishing industry can provide jobs year-round, which helps boost economic growth. And it’s not just fishing jobs, there are more jobs in the processing and manufacturing side of the business.
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