A wide range of fish and shellfish are produced by the aquaculture industry worldwide. Familiar examples include salmon, trout, warm water prawns, sea bass, sea bream, turbot, tilapia, oysters, scallops and mussels. Other species being farmed in increasing quantities include cod and halibut. Both of these species are starting to be farmed on a commercial scale here in the UK.

The different aquaculture terms are:

. • Farmed – eggs bred in captivity and grown through to harvest.

. • Sea reared – young stocks are caught in the wild and then grown on to harvest, e.g. mussels.

. • Sea ranching – Juveniles are bred in captivity and then released into the wild. A small percentage (2-5%) are subsequently caught when they mature, e.g. lobsters.

Fish and shellfish farms in the UK and Europe have to be registered and the fish and shellfish are inspected for health, hygiene and welfare regularly. Individual farms and their associations are working to raise standards and maintain a healthy environment.

Current initiatives include:

. • Developing and promoting codes of practice to ensure cultivation sites and stocks are well managed.

. • Addressing issues relating to the supply of fishmeal and fish oil in aquaculture feeds. Sourcing feeds from sustainably managed and accredited fisheries is becoming a priority.

. • Investigating better use of feed on site through the development of improved feeding systems.