Roughly half the seafood we eat comes from farms, and yet many consumers remain hesitant, even resistant to buying farmed fish. Aquaculture is compared with both terrestrial agriculture and capture fisheries and has endured considerable, often unfounded, criticism. Understanding Aquaculture addresses the controversial aspects of aquaculture, answering common questions about the industry and farmed seafood. Are farmed fish safe to eat? Are wild fish more nutritious? Do fish farms pollute the environment? Understanding Aquaculture sets the record straight for the world’s most important source of seafood. 

Aquaculture is critical to food security, both now and in the future, and an informed and supportive public is needed to ensure its potential is fully realized. Informative and engaging, this book is a thoroughly researched resource for students and practitioners, but manages to put the facts within reach of casual readers.

Table of contents :
Chapter 1 What is aquaculture?
Chapter 2 The state of aquaculture in the context of global food supply
Chapter 3 Aquaculture from place to place
Chapter 4 Why is aquaculture controversial?
PART II HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES
Chapter 5 Nutritional value of farmed versus wild fish
Chapter 6 Persistent organic pollutants and other contaminants in farmed fish
Chapter 7 Antibiotic and other drug residues in farmed fish
Chapter 8 Genetically modified organisms in aquaculture
Chapter 9 Food handling, safety, and quality
PART III ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Chapter 10 Production systems and water usage
Chapter 11 Aquatic habitat and siting of aquaculture facilities
Chapter 12 Escapement from aquaculture facilities and interactions with wild fish
Chapter 13 Disease transmission between farmed and wild fish
Chapter 14 Feeding fish to fish – use of marine-origin resources in aquaculture feeds
PART IV SOCIOECONOMIC AND RELATED ISSUES
Chapter 15 Economic interactions between farmed and wild-caught seafood
Chapter 16 Resource utilization in the production of animal protein – seafood versus other meats
Chapter 17 Social and economic empowerment through aquaculture
Chapter 18 Carp or salmon? Meeting seafood demand in developed and developing nations
Chapter 19 Regulation of the aquaculture industry