Aquaculture - 21st-century Practice

21st-century Practice

About 430 (97%) of the species cultured as of 2007 were domesticated during the 20th century, of which an estimated 106 came in the decade to 2007. Given the long-term importance of agriculture, it is interesting to note that to date only 0.08% of known land plant species and 0.0002% of known land animal species have been domesticated, compared with 0.17% of known marine plant species and 0.13% of known marine animal species. Domestication typically involves about a decade of scientific research. Domesticating aquatic species involves fewer risks to humans than land animals, which took a large toll in human lives. Most major human diseases originated in domesticated animals, through diseases such as smallpox and diphtheria, that like most infectious diseases, move to humans from animals. No human pathogens of comparable virulence have yet emerged from marine species.

Harvest stagnation in wild fisheries and overexploitation of popular marine species, combined with a growing demand for high quality protein, encourage aquaculturists to domesticate other marine species.