Description

A fish hatchery is a type of aquaculture that cultivates aquatic animals during their early life stages to improve survival rates. In the Great Lakes region, hatcheries are primarily used for stocking fish into wild habitats. However, hatcheries can also produce fish for food, bait, or restoration efforts. Aquaculture is a rapidly growing sector, with around 40% of fish consumed by humans being hatchery-produced. Hatcheries operate like farms and laboratories, where aquatic species are spawned, hatched, and monitored until they are large enough to be transferred to farms or released into the wild. Aquaculture includes raising various fish, crustaceans, bivalves, and plants in controlled environments, enhancing growth and survival. Fish species raised through aquaculture are classified based on their ideal growth temperatures: cold water (trout, salmon), cool water (yellow perch, walleye), and warm water (catfish, tilapia). This book offers a comprehensive guide to current and emerging technologies in hatchery production