History of Aquaculture

In the historical past aquaculture remained multilocational and isolated. Australian people have started to raise eels as early as 6000 B.C. There is evidence that they developed about 100 square km. of volcanic floodplains into a complex of channels and dams. They used woven traps to capture eels. Smoking eels supported them all year round.

The evidence that Egyptians cultured fish as far as 2500 B.C. come from pictorial engravings of an ancient Egyptian tomb showing tilapia being fished out from an artificial pond.

The Romans have reared fish in circular ponds divided into breeding areas.

Aquaculture was operating in China in 2500 B.C. When the waters subsided after river floods, some fishes, mainly carp, were trapped in lakes. Early aquaculturists fed their brood using nymphs and silkworm feces and ate them. A fortunate genetic mutation of carp led to the emergence of goldfish during the Tang Dynasty. The Chinese carried with them their traditional knowledge of carp culture to the countries they emigrated like Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam. In the Philippines, fish culture has been done in brackishwater ponds for centuries. Eel culture in Japan is also very old.

In Central and occidental Europe common carp culture developed along with monasteries in the Middle Ages. Later, with the development of pond fertilization and artificial feeding, carp culture got a new lease of life especially in Central and Oriental Europe. Simultaneously in Europe, salmon culture began. Salmon breeding and rearing techniques were developed.

In North America, fish culture has developed from the turn of the century. Emphasis having been laid on trout for stocking in coldwater and black bass in warm waters.

Except for the referred culture of tilapia in Egypt, the origin of fish culture in Africa is recent. It was only at the end of II World War that efforts were made to introduce and develop fish cultivation. The prize species in Africa is tilapia, which, in recent years, has been extensively transplanted into many warm countries almost round the equator. Tilapia has been referred to as the “wonder fish” of Africa and several attempts to popularize tilapia culture in various African countries did not achieve so much success as expected. In some countries mixed culture of tilapia and catfish have achieved some success.

Fish culture is only beginning in Latin America and most of the Middle-East. In Israel it has made phenomenal progress.

Since World War II, four factors have contributed to rapid development of aquaculture. These are: a/ Facilities of fish transport by modern forms of communication; b/ Use of polyethylene bags and fish transported under oxygen; c/ Artificial propagation of farmed fish and its application to difficult-to-breed fish, development of hatching techniques to rear eggs and larvae; d/ Availability to feed concentrates and their distribution to pellet form.

In recent years, fish culture using some standard methods has got itself extended to many parts of the world. With further research in aquaculture, especially on production of fish seed and fish feed technologies, aquaculture is heading towards a quantum jump in years to come.