Fish farm facts for kids

Raising Salmon on the Faroe Islands

Imagine a special place where people raise fish, just like farmers raise cows or chickens! This place is called a fish farm. Most of the time, fish are raised here so we can eat them.

There are two main ways fish farms work:

• Some fish farms raise fish in big tanks on land.
• Other fish farms use special areas in the oceans, lakes, or rivers to keep the fish.

The most common types of fish you might find on a fish farm include salmon, carp, tilapia, catfish, and cod.

What is Fish Farming?

Fish farming, also known as aquaculture, is like farming on land, but for fish! Instead of growing crops or raising animals like cows, people grow and raise fish in controlled environments. This helps to provide a steady supply of fish for people to eat all around the world.

Why Do We Farm Fish?

People farm fish for several important reasons. One big reason is to make sure there's enough fish for everyone. As more people live on Earth, we need more food. Fishing in the wild can't always keep up with this demand. Fish farms help by producing a lot of fish in a smaller space.

Another reason is to protect wild fish populations. If we only caught fish from the ocean, some types of fish might become rare or even disappear. Fish farming can take some pressure off wild fish, helping their numbers stay healthy.

Types of Fish Farms

Fish farms can look very different depending on where they are and what kind of fish they raise.

Land-Based Farms

Some fish farms are built on land. They use large tanks or ponds filled with water. The water is often filtered and cleaned to keep the fish healthy. These farms can be found far from the coast, even in deserts! They are good for controlling the water quality and keeping diseases from spreading easily.

Water-Based Farms

Other fish farms are located in natural bodies of water like oceans, lakes, or rivers. They use big nets or cages to hold the fish in a specific area. This lets the fish live in their natural environment while still being cared for by farmers. These farms are often found in sheltered bays or calm parts of the sea.

Common Farmed Fish

Many different kinds of fish are raised on farms. Here are some of the most popular:

Salmon

Salmon are very popular fish, known for their tasty meat. They are often raised in large net pens in the ocean, especially in places like Norway, Chile, and the Faroe Islands. Salmon farming has grown a lot because of the high demand for this fish.

Carp

Carp are freshwater fish that have been farmed for thousands of years, especially in Asia. They are very hardy and can live in different water conditions, making them easy to raise in ponds. Carp are an important food source in many countries.

Tilapia

Tilapia are another type of freshwater fish. They grow quickly and can be raised in many different systems, from small ponds to large tanks. Tilapia farming is very common in warm climates around the world.

Catfish

Catfish are known for their distinctive whiskers, which look like a cat's. They are often farmed in ponds in the southern United States and parts of Asia. Catfish are popular for their mild flavor and are easy to cook.

Cod

Cod are cold-water fish that are usually caught in the wild. However, cod farming is becoming more common as people look for ways to sustainably produce this popular fish. Cod farms are often found in colder ocean waters.

Challenges in Fish Farming

While fish farming helps provide food, it also faces some challenges.

Escaped Fish

Sometimes, fish can escape from farms, especially during storms or if nets break. If these farmed fish are different from the wild fish in the area, they might compete for food or even spread diseases to the wild populations. This can affect the natural balance of the ecosystem.

Feeding the Fish

Just like any farm animal, farmed fish need to eat. Often, their food is made from smaller fish caught from the ocean. This means that to raise one type of fish, we sometimes need to catch other fish. Scientists are working on new types of fish food that use less wild fish.

Diseases and Parasites

When many fish are kept close together, diseases and parasites can spread more easily. Fish farmers work hard to keep their fish healthy, using good hygiene and sometimes medicines, but it's a constant challenge.

Environmental Impact

Fish farms can sometimes affect the environment around them. For example, waste from the fish or uneaten food can sink to the bottom and change the water quality. Farmers are always looking for ways to make fish farming more environmentally friendly, like using better waste management systems.

Images for kids

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  Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland

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  Controlling roes manually

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  Giant gourami is often raised in cages in central Thailand.

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  These fish-farming ponds were created as a cooperative project in a rural village in the Congo.

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  Aerators in a fish farm (Ararat plain, Armenia)

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  Fish farming in the fjords of southern Chile

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  Houseboat rafts with cages under for rearing fish near Mỹ Tho, Vietnam

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  Transport boats moored at fish processing plant, Mỹ Tho

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  Communal Zapotec fish farm in Ixtlán de Juárez, Mexico

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  Fish farming traditionally takes place in purpose-built tanks in the Skardu region in northern Pakistan.

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  Pisciculture Complex, outside Rio Branco, Brazil