Aquaculture facilities are spread throughout California, from the Mexican border in the south to the Oregon border in the north, and from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the state line in the east. Facilities vary from small family operations to large multimillion dollar facilities with sophisticated production, research, and marketing activities. Whether the operation is large or small, they have one thing in common - management of the water environment. Aquaculturists monitor and control the water in which they produce their crop. Feeds or nutrients utilized by their animals and plants are controlled.
Harvest is predictable and scheduled to meet the needs of the market.
Breeding programs are in place that strive to reduce production cost and conform the product to market demand. Hard work and pioneering technology has made aquaculture the fastest growing segment of USA's vast agriculture industry. Dependability of product supply is an important advantage of aquaculture. Farmers often plan their production and harvesting around the needs of their customers. Aquaculture products of known quality, quantity, size, and price are normally available year-round.