Aquaculture is the farming of any aquatic plant or animal. Aquaculture is of great importance because it reduces the possibility of over fishing wild fish, and also improves the quality and increases the of fish for human consumption.
Ancient civilizations throughout the world engaged in different types of fish farming. The indigenous people in Australia are believed to have raised eels as early as 6000 BC. Abundant indicates they developed volcanic floodplains near Lake Condah into channels and dams, then captured eels and preserved them to eat all year round. The earliest records of fish , however, are from China, where the practice was in wide use around 2500 BC. When the waters subsided after river floods, some fish, mainly carp, were in lakes. Early fish farmers then fed their brood using nymphs and silkworm feces, and ate them afterwards.
In Europe, aquaculture first began in ancient Rome. The Romans, who sea fish and oysters, created oyster farms which were similar to swimming pools. Fish and crustaceans (such as shrimps and crabs) caught in lagoons were kept in these pools until it was time to eat them. The farms were often built inside homes, where well-to-do families could invite their guests over and choose the fish they wished to eat. This Roman tradition was later adopted by Christian monasteries in central Europe.
During the Middle Ages, aquaculture in Europe, since far away from the seacoasts and the big rivers, fish had to be salted so they did not rot. Throughout feudal Europe, monastic orders and the aristocracy were the main users of freshwater fish, for they had a over the land, forests, and water courses while the common people could seldom build ponds of their own. As with hunting, fishing was severely punished and the less well-off would have to wait a few centuries before fresh fish was served on their plates.
