What is aquaculture?
Common Definition: Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, shellfish and even plants. The term aquaculture refers to the cultivation of both marine and freshwater species and can range from land-based to open-ocean production. The jurisdiction of The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and the focus of this website, is the farming of marine species within the coastal waters of Maine. Mariculture is another term used for the farming of marine organisms in their natural habitats. Legal Definition: (taken from 12 M.R.S.A §6072): The culture or husbandry of marine organisms by any person. Storage or any other form of impounding or holding of wild marine organisms, without more, shall not qualify as aquaculture. In order to qualify as aquaculture a project must involve affirmative action by the lessee to improve the growth rate or quality of the marine organism. Aquaculture in Maine Aquaculture has been present within the coastal waters of Maine since the 1800s
Aquaculture is farming of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants in fresh or salt water. Aquaculture products can be grown inland in freshwater recycling facilities, ponds, freshwater lakes and bays, or in the open ocean. The farmed aquatic animals and plants are fed and cared for to ensure optimum health and product quality. Once they have reached an appropriate size, they are harvested, processed, and then shipped to market. Fresh products can reach the market within hours of leaving the water.
Aquaculture is farming of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants in fresh or salt water. Aquaculture products are grown on land in freshwater recycling facilities, in ponds, freshwater lakes and bays, or in the open ocean. The fish are fed and cared for to ensure optimum health and product quality. Once the fish or shellfish reach an appropriate size, the crop is harvested, processed and shipped to market, generally arriving within hours of leaving the water.
Put simply, aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and marine plants and animals. Evidently, all aquaculture is done in water and, because it is a farming activity, involves the considerations of property (i.e. the farmer owns the products) and activity (i.e. work is done in order to raise the animals or plants). The term also implies that a degree of control is exercised on the conditions of rearing. Aquaculture is a word that combines these concepts but includes many different technologies, arts and sciences that enable the activity. • Aqua = water • Culture = The breeding or growing of animals or plants Sometimes, the terms “aquiculture” and “aquafarming” are also used.
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