Aquaculture
Aquaculture has been used in China since circa 3500 BC. When the waters lowered after river floods, some fishes, mainly carp, were held in artificial ponds. Their brood were later fed using nymphs and silkworm feces, while the fish themselves were eaten as a source of protein. By a fortunate genetic mutation, this early domestication of carp led to the development of goldfish in the Tang Dynasty.
Cyprinus carpio is the number one fish of aquaculture. The annual tonnage of common carp, not to mention the other cyprinids, produced in China exceeds the weight of all other fish, such as trout and salmon, produced by aquaculture world wide.
Since the 1970s, the reform policies have resulted in the rapid development of China’s aquaculture, both in fresh and in sea waters. Total aquaculture areas rose from 2.86 million hectors in 1979 to 5.68 million hectors in 1996, and the production rose from 1.23 million tonnes to 15.31 million tonnes.
In 2005, worldwide aquaculture production including aquatic plants was worth US$78.4 billion. Of this, the Chinese production was worth US$ 39.8 billion. In the same year there were about 12 million fish farmers worldwide. Of these, China reported 4.5 million employed full time in aquaculture.
| Top 10 species grown in China in 2005 | |
| Species | Tonnes |
|---|---|
| Japanese kelp | 4 314 000 |
| Grass carp | 3 857 000 |
| Pacific cupped oyster | 3 826 000 |
| Silver carp | 3 525 000 |
| Japanese carpet shell | 2 857 000 |
| Common carp | 2 475 000 |
| Wakame | 2 395 000 |
| Bighead carp | 2 182 000 |
| Crucian carp | 2 083 000 |
| Yesso scallop | 1 036 000 |
| Production, area and yield: 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total production (tons) |
Area used (ha) |
Yield (kg/ha) |
|
| Overall total | 30,275,795 | 7,103,648 | 4,260 |
| Marine culture | 12,533,061 | 1,532,152 | 8,180 |
| Inland culture | 17,742,734 | 5,571,496 | 3,180 |
| Pond | 12,515,093 | 2,398,740 | 5,220 |
| Lake | 1,051,930 | 936,262 | 1,120 |
| Reservoirs | 1,841,245 | 1,660,027 | 1,110 |
| Rivers | 738,459 | 382,170 | 1,930 |
| Rice paddies | 1,023,611 | 1,558,042 | 660 |
| Other | 572,396 | 194,297 | 2,950 |
Read more about this topic: Fishing Industry In The People's Republic Of China