THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF FISH FARMING - I.M. Sherman - 2011

Introduction

Theoretical foundations and global practice convincingly demonstrate that ensuring humanity with a sufficient supply of high-quality animal protein at the present level remains highly problematic. The medium-term prospect of solving this global, objectively existing challenge is linked, to a significant extent, with The Development of aquaculture and fish farming.

This concept is not entirely novel; it is rooted in objective and persistent trends of declining global capture fisheries and the Increasing complexity of fishing operations in territorial waters, as clearly evidenced by statistical and economic indicators. Relying on objective criteria and the underlying patterns of these processes, and drawing upon human practical experience, drawing certain parallels is entirely justified.

It is well known that the evolution of human society over long historical periods has been closely tied to dietary composition, in which animal protein played a major and steadily growing role. To secure sufficient animal protein, early humans refined specialized hunting and fishing techniques, which to some extent met the needs of local populations.

The steady, continuous growth of the human population on the planet logically led to the reduction of natural PLANT AND ANIMAL habitats, driven by rising demands for biological resources. Under these conditions, a way out of the emerging contradiction was found through a gradual, long-term spatial and societal transformation that led to the transition from gathering to plant cultivation (agriculture) and from hunting to animal husbandry.

Against this backdrop, largely thanks to the historical relationship between humans and fish in various natural environments, no acute conflicts between humans and fish were observed for centuries. Humanity had sufficient fishery yields obtained from river systems, lakes, and coastal marine harvesting. This situation persisted for a long time and only slowly began to change at varying paces across different continents and states as population growth accelerated, the demand for fishery products steadily increased, and commercial market relations began to form.

This escalating contradiction between population growth and the capacity of wild capture fisheries significantly accelerated technical progress in the fishing industry. This was largely driven by the integration of research and technological advancements, which systematically increased the number of fishing gears and improved the quality of fishing fleets, making the business highly profitable and promising in the long run. The latter assumption regarding long-term Prospects, however, was based on a flawed concept shared by influential scientific circles that the potential of the World Ocean was inexhaustible.

It is common knowledge that fish are a renewable living natural resource; however, a fundamental condition for sustainable management—taking into account the composition of commercial ichthyofauna—is that annual catches must not exceed annual stock replenishment. Although presented here in a simplified form, this widely accepted concept forms the very foundation of catch quota systems, fishery regulations, and yield forecasting.

Unfortunately, over the past century, this principle has been severely violated in both national and international waters. Alongside this harsh reality, scientific studies have established the Qualitative and quantitative parameters of fish stocks and defined sustainable limits for annual catches. Experts have emphasized that alongside catch quotas, extensive state and interstate measures must be implemented to optimize natural and artificial fish reproduction conditions. According to new generations of scientists, such measures formed a modern concept: maintaining the population size and species diversity of fish in commercial fishing grounds requires additional investments, which may temporarily reduce immediate fishing efficiency, but remains essential to secure the future of both fisheries and aquaculture.

The current situation in commercial fisheries is significantly exacerbated by environmental degradation driven by anthropogenic pressures. Consequently, it is logical to conclude that in the medium and long term, substantially increasing the volume of wild capture fisheries—which is essentially a form of hunting—is highly problematic. Given these realities, further expansion of traditional fishing is unlikely; the limits of active fish harvesting using modern gear have reached their peak, and the future growth of high-quality fish production must be primarily linked to aquaculture.

Unlike capture fisheries, fish farming has a relatively short history; modern aquaculture does not exceed 100–150 years, which is a mere blink of an eye compared to fishing. Reviewing the formation and development of aquaculture, it must be emphasized that immense practical progress has been achieved, leading to advanced technologies capable of producing large volumes of premium-quality fish at acceptable economic efficiency, even as these systems face new economic realities and market fluctuations.

At the same time, numerous recent scientific developments significantly expand our understanding of the biology of fish species used in current and prospective aquaculture, opening up new horizons for the creation of innovative technologies and the refinement of existing ones.

Despite these positive developments, one must acknowledge the objective scarcity of information forming the theoretical foundation of advanced technologies. This deficit impoverishes the professional outlook of future specialists, hindering initiative in adapting technologies to specific conditions and developing modern, innovative fish farming Methods.

In this regard, in the authors' view, the academic discipline "THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF Fish Farming" is one of the most crucial components in training specialists in the "Aquatic Bioresources" major. It uncovers the theoretical aspects and operational capabilities required for the successful cultivation of fish in various Water bodies under diverse ecological conditions to achieve maximum yields of the highest quality. Mastering this discipline is impossible without the foundational knowledge acquired by future ichthyologists and fish farmers in ecology, hydrology, hydrochemistry, hydrobiology, fish physiology, biochemistry of aquatic organisms, fish genetics, fish anatomy, general ichthyology, pond aquaculture, industrial fish farming, river, lake, and reservoir fisheries, the basics of mariculture, and other related fields that are deeply intertwined with aquaculture primarily through their theoretical frameworks.

The aim of the discipline is to provide students with a cohesive system of knowledge and concepts regarding The Theory of fishery management, utilizing fundamental scientific training to address specific challenges in aquaculture.

The knowledge gained from studying this discipline will help future specialists develop a comprehensive understanding of the prerequisites for efficient fish farming, seamlessly connecting the educational process with fundamental and specialized professional training.

As a result of studying the discipline, students should: know: the core components of fish life history (reproduction, development, growth, feeding, behavior, population dynamics, productivity), the PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL features of their natural and artificial reproduction, and the patterns of matter and energy transformation by fish at various life stages; be able to: apply the principles of aquatic environmental factors, biological productivity of food organisms, and methods for its management across various types of water bodies, as well as effectively utilize theoretical knowledge of fish anatomy and morphological adaptations in aquaculture. The textbook "Theoretical Foundations of Fish Farming" is the first of its kind prepared in Ukraine and, in the authors' opinion, fully complies with the curriculum for training master's students in the specialty 8.130301 "Aquatic Bioresources" at higher agricultural educational institutions of the III–IV accreditation levels.