Aquaculture
Aquaculture comprises the culture of animal and plant organisms and ranges from breeding catfish to seaweed cultures. The main pillars of Dutch aquaculture are shellfish and fish breeding. Shellfish breeding is concentrated along the coastal areas, and fish breeding in recycling systems throughout the country. Opportunities for brackish agriculture are being investigated in The Netherlands.
The global fish breeding sector is experiencing a rapid growth. Causes are the declining yields in the fishing industry, a growing need of animal proteins from fish and new breeding technologies. However, regional differences are significant, in terms of volume, turnover and diversity of species. Aquaculture is concentrated in developing countries where herbivore carp species are the most important breeds. Diverse (and relatively expensive) carnivores are bred in Europe.
Also in the Netherlands the aquaculture sector is growing. Breeding of fresh water fish such as eel and catfish is widely spread, and tilapia is a new species in this market. The market for saltwater fish is growing as well. Dutch fish culture is characterised by recycling systems.
With the growing fish breeding sector, the consumption of shellfish is increasing as well. Next to fish also shellfish traditionally were part of our meals, although nowadays shellfish are luxury products. So correspondingly, the shellfish culture has traditionally been active in The Netherlands. In general, shellfish culture is a relatively wild culture, less cultivated than the fish culture. This sector is therefore largely dependent on nature. The Southwest of the Netherlands and the Waddensea are most important.
Source: www.aquacultuur.nl
