Aquaculture (Civ5)/Civilopedia

Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic plants and animals in much the same way that land-living plants and animals are cultivated by agriculture. Aqauculture is primarily a source of food for people living near bodies of water, but aquaculture also includes cultivation of luxury items such as pearls and ornamental fish. Large-scale fishing in the wild is not considred aquaculture, nor is the worthy hobby of recreational angling. Aquaculture is often used by maritime people as a way to provide a more reliable supply of marine life for food, usually supplementing various means of gathering from the wild.
Aquaculture was discovered independently several times through the course of human history. The earliest archaeological evidence for aquaculture may be from the indigenous Gunditjmara people of Australia, who captured and raised eels. The Polynesians created rock-walled fishponds along island shorelines, capturing fish that entered through sluice gates. Though aquaculture never supplanted agriculture as a source of food, knowledge of aquacultural practices such as capturing wild adult fish, harvesting eggs, raising fry, and shellfish bedding spread widely across the world. Aquaculture has also led to the introduction of many species to new environments, sometimes to the consternation of the animals and plants that were there already.
Since the Industrial Age, there has been increasing interest in the commercial possibilities of aquaculture. As commercial fishing depletes wild stocks, aquaculture of popular food fish and shellfish has ensured a reliable supply to the world’s table, where the butter sauce and lemon awaits.