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Fish Farm

Humans eat fish; a lot of fish. In fact, we eat so much fish that many of the fish varieties are endangered and the oceans are going to run out of those and many others. A fish farm is simply another way to raise these fish so that humans can continue to eat them, without worry that they will all be gone.

How Does a Green Fish Farm Work?

Artificial sea water is used to build the farm on land in a system called " Recirculating Marine Aquaculture" (Rogers 2009) The sea water is then filtered and recycled after use. The resulting fish waste could be used as an organic fertilizer for other farming ventures and the fish are reported to be of high grade with this process.

What are the Downsides?

Nothing is without its doom-criers and its detractors, fish farming among them. The opponents of the fish farm worry about the fish waste and the polluted waters. They also worry about the diet of the farmed fish- saying that it is wrong to feed smaller fish to the farmed fish for instance, or that feeding corn to a fish is tantamount to animal cruelty. (Researchers at the UMBI Center of Marine Biotechnology in Maine were looking to create new recipes for fish food.)

Some opponents of fish farms would say that eating fish of any kind is wrong or that we have fished ourselves into this mess and we should not artificially raise any species solely for food.

What are the Costs Involved?

Depending on the area, the scope of the operation and the amount of travel that will have to be done to get your farmed fish to market, the costs can be fairly high.

First, you will need the tanks and recycling set up so that the artificial sea water can be pumped in, filtered and circulated again and again. You will then need to buy your fish stock and decide whether you are buying new stock and raising them or whether you will be breeding fish as you go. The farther you have to travel, the higher your initial investment will be and the longer it will take before you see any type of profit at all. You will also have to factor in the cost of the fish food, as well as the time you will have to spend carrying for your fish farm.

What is the Targeted Market?

Restaurants and fish markets will be very interested in your farmed fish, especially if they can get them at prices lower than what they have been paying for wild caught fish.

References: Stephanie Rogers. New Fish Farming Method Provides Virtually Guilt-free Seafood. Posted July, 6, 2009 at http://www.mnn.com/technology/research-innovations/stories/new-fish-farming-method-provide-virtually-guilt-free-seafood

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