Fish Farming to the Rescue

While the title may seem a little optimistic, it may not be too far from the truth. World population is at 7.6 billion people right now. According to the United Nations that number will likely grow to 11 or 12 Billion by 2100, and that number may be even higher than that. The oceans are already fished to capacity and can not sustain an increased catch.

That is where Aquaculture comes in. Fish farming, known more formally as aquaculture, has been done in some form or another for thousands of years. Recently it has become vital part of feeding the world's exploding population because it is a very efficient protein producer. In fact, right now NOAA estimates that greater than 50% of all fish produced in the world are farmed raised. 90% of that happens in Asia.

In order to keep up with demand for protein rich foods aquaculture will need to ramp up production quickly; not only in currently farmed fish like shrimp and salmon, but also fish that have not yet been sustainably farmed, like Mahi Mahi and Tuna.

That's where the University of Miami, Rosenstiel campus comes in. The team there likes to brag that they are the best aquaculture program in the nation. On their Virginia Key campus they farm raise dozens of varieties of fish. The leader of the program, Dr Daniel Benetti, is optimistic he is only years away from sustainable Mahi Mahi farming and can see Tuna farming on the horizon. That would be a huge breakthrough because fast moving fish are very hard to grow in captivity. But Benetti and his team are confident they are close to a breakthrough.

It should be noted that tuna farming is now being done with limited success in Japan. The US ranks only 16th in the world in the aquaculture industry.

Historically opening a fish farm in US waters has been challenging. According to experts the permitting process has been a labor intensive process. But in January of 2016 NOAA Fisheries implemented a final rule which implemented the nation's first regulatory program for aquaculture in federal waters. It is a coordinated permitting system for the Gulf of Mexico. The hope is that this new rule will help grease the wheels of industry helping to spur a boom in fish farming, creating not only a sustainable industry but also meaningful jobs.

Jeff Berardelli, Meteorologist and Eco Journalist

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