Aquaculture

To Be or Not to Be.....a Pescetarian?

The NOAA's Ocean Service defines aquaculture as a method to produce seafood products while restoring the marine environment and rebuilding various wild marine populations [16]. This method of fishing is already a major source of protein, contributing to 10% of protein provided from meat, milk, and eggs [17]. Transforming this meat alternative into the dominant source of protein may be difficult because of the limitations of a sustainable and stable source of food for carnivorous fish, such as salmon [18]. However, this proves to be less of an issue for herbivorous and omnivorous fish such as carp, tilapia, and catfish because they have low requirements for fish oil as food [19]. These fish are higher in protein than beef and chicken products, but they are much lower than protein yields from soy products.

Similarly to livestock, only 37% of the fish by weight is used for food [20][21]. Additionally, the food used to feed the fish is produced on land, so a portion of land will be dedicated to aquaculture production. Although fish are a better alternative than livestock, they are not the most efficient option. Efficiency can be affected by many factors such as transporation, climate suitability, and accessibility. Due to these changing variables, aquaculture may be an appropriate protein alternative for specific regions.