A Rapidly Growing Industry Aquaculture is the fastest-growing form of agriculture in the United States. The rapid growth of the aquaculture industry has attracted the attention of a variety of potential producers. Predominant are farmers looking to diversify their operations, commercial fishers whose traditional catches are dwindling, scientists desiring to work in actual production situations, venture capitalists, and large national or multinational food concerns searching for expanding sectors.
Aquaculture is the aquatic counterpart of agriculture, with water substituting for land.
The outlook for the growth of the aquaculture industry in the Great Lakes region is optimistic for several reasons. First, the per-capita consumption of seafood has increased almost 30 percent since 1980 and is expected to continue to increase in the future. Second, the increased consumption of fish and other aquatic food products is part of a growing health awareness by people in the Midwest. Besides being low in fat and easy to prepare, fish compares well with other protein sources. Fourth, Great Lakes aquaculturists seeking markets for their products will find that half of the U.S. population lives within a day's drive.