Aquaculture / Pisciculture

Aquaculture refers to the breeding of both fish and shellfish for human consumption, as well as the cultivation of aquatic plants (e.g. seaweed). The term pisciculture, or fish farming, refers specifically to the farming of fish.

For fish and shrimps, they are usually estimated (i.e. the number of fish that we kill for food) by weight in official reports (e.g. FAO reports), instead of by individuals as compared to the other animals mentioned above. Thus, we find big ranges of estimates in the number of fish.

As fish, and especially shrimp are small animals, it is not possible to record the numbers killed for food each year on an individual basis. Instead, the amount of animals killed is recorded by weight in official reports (e.g. FAO reports), and from this data the number of individuals killed can be estimated. This explains why the estimated numbers of fish and shrimps killed for food each year can vary considerably.