Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fisheries and

for a world without hunger Aquaculture Department

Aquaculture technology
Variety of technologies Related documents

The systems and technology used in aquaculture has Construction and

installation of
developed rapidly in the last fifty years. They vary from hexagonal wooden
very simple facilities (e.g. family ponds for domestic cages for fish farming:
consumption in tropical countries) to high technology A technical manual
systems (e.g. intensive closed systems for export
production). Much of the technology used in aquaculture is relatively simple, often Aquaculture Operations
based on small modifications that improve the growth and survival rates of the in Floating HDPE
target species, e.g. improving food, seeds, oxygen levels and protection from Cages: a field
handbook
predators. Simple systems of small freshwater ponds, used for raising herbivorous
and filter feeding fish, account for about half of global aquaculture production. Technical Guidelines
on Aquaculture
A greater understanding of complex interactions between nutrients, bacteria and Certification
cultured organisms, together with advances in hydrodynamics applied to pond and
tank design, have enabled the development of closed systems. These have the
advantage of isolating the aquaculture systems from natural aquatic systems, thus
minimizing the risk of disease or genetic impacts on the external systems.

New developments

Developments in engineering, some adapted from offshore oil rig construction, increase the possibilities for a
progressive offshore expansion of aquaculture using robust cages. Culture-based capture fisheries involving the
release of young fish into the wild to improve harvest (an operation also referred to as restocking, stock
enhancement or ranching) have existed for a long time for freshwater and anadromous species (e.g. salmon).
Sea ranching, however, has just made a start but its long-term viability is being assessed. Advances have also
been made in capture-based aquaculture involving the growing/fattening of young fish (e.g. tuna) captured
from the wild. Potential conflicts with capture fisheries are being assessed. Major progress have also being
made in the aquafeeds technology, combining a large number of ingredients into very small pellets.

The selection of the aquaculture system or approach to adopt in a particular development is determined by
several factors including the following:

development goals/objectives and target beneficiaries

acceptability/marketability of culture species
availability and level of technology
availability of production inputs and support facilities and services
investment requirements
environmental considerations

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department