Inc. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce without permission. Aquaculture was first practiced in China more than 2,000 years ago. Aquaculture is a relative newcomer to the U.S., which began here during the 19th century and first reached commercial success in the 1960's and 1970's. The same is true in most U.S. states.
Aquaculture is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. agricultural economy.
U.S. aquaculturists produce more than 1 billion pounds of aquatic plants and animals per year. The worldwide total yearly aquaculture production of finfish, shellfish, and plants recently surpassed 32 million metric tons or 70.4 billion pounds. India is second and Japan is third. The per capita consumption of finfish and shellfish in the U.S. is about 15 pounds per year. The worldwide average per capita consumption is about 40 pounds per year, and is more than 100 pounds per year in southern and eastern Asia.