- RAS in Trend
- Fish Farming is a growing industry
"RAS"(Recirculating Aquaculture system) in Trend
"RAS"(Recirculating Aquaculture system) in Trend
Fish Farming is a growing industry
Fishery is an industry most expected to grow in the first half of 21st
century.
From "Green Revolution" to "Blue
Revolution"
The famous economist P.F. Drucker once wrote in the closing chapter of his book "The Essential Drucker", fishery industry is listed as the industry most expected to grow in the first half of the 21st century.
The background has the following factors.
1. Reduction in food supply
With global environmental pollution and bad weather, and even
effects of urbanization, global food production capacity is expected to
decline.
The decline in arable land has been salvaged by incline in per unit
production so far with massive use of artificial fertilizers;
significant increase in productivity is not further expected.
The same situation is happening for livestock.
2. Continual incline in food consumption (demand)
On the other hand, the population in Asia and Africa is expected to grow; as the average household income rises in these developing countries, the need for food will also rise. (Those who ate grains for main dietary are now shifting to eat grain fed meet.)
3. Food shortage (food crisis) is likely to occur
Thus, supply will decline and demand will rise. As a result food shortage is likely to occur in the middle of 21st century.
4. Prevention of food shortage with increased supply of marine products
Area that can greatly increase production to prevent food shortages is "fishery". While other food productions have been improving the productivity, fishery has only been refining harvesting; the resource depletion is concerned. However, this means, there is a room for development of new technology of "farming marine products".
After the second W.W., the global population boom has been sustained
by propagation of "Green Revolution", a high yielding technology of
rice crop.
It is now said what prevents the future food shortage is "Blue
Revolution", the promotion of fisheries industry.
The aquaculture is already a growing industry globally
While a haul of fish is at peak, aquaculture is vastly on the rise.
1. Remarkable growth in China
Since 1980's, the aquaculture is rapidly growing in China, currently taking some 70% share of the market. The growth is significant in inland aquaculture, being the world's largest fishery.
2. Steady growth seen also in Western countries
The primary factor is the development of the land based circulation
culture technology.
In US/EU, measures for food shortage were initiated in 1980's. Because
of eco-friendly and intensive production, the "land based circulation
farming technology" has been persuaded to be cost competitive against
imports from developing courtiers.
Industry, academia and public sector have been teaming up to gather
funding and knowledge to develop the technology in securing of food
supply with national pride.
Source: FAO May 2003 Overview of Fish Production, Utilization Consumption and Trade Based on 2001 Data
In Japan, both the marine production and aquaculture production had
peaked in 1984.
The reason is because aquaculture in Japan is mostly on-the-sea net
cage type or irrigation type. As a result, from these types of rearing,
the polluted water with nitrogen loadings to release water equivalent
of 7.5 million people's excrement.
The measure for these problems leads to higher cost on administration
of antibiotics, which in turn causes lower yield, and at the end of the
day, decline in aquaculture business.
Total allowed catch and aquaculture production
Source: Fisheries White Paper 2009
