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In layman's term, it is agriculture under water, but we say it as agriculture for future. As described by FAO, Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic Plants (FAO, 2000; FAO Fisheries Department, 1997; FAO/FIRI, 1997).

Aquaculture probably has been the world’s fastest growing food producing sector for the past decade (Muir, 1995; Tacon, 1997) and now accounts for almost 50 percent of the world’s food fish and is perceived as having the greatest potential to meet the growing demand for aquatic food. Given the projected population growth over the next two decades, it is estimated that at least an additional 40 million tonnes of aquatic food will be required by 2030 to maintain the current per capita consumption.

Aquaculture is developing, expanding and intensifying in almost all regions of the world, except in sub-Saharan Africa . Global population demand for aquatic food products is increasing, the production from capture fisheries has levelled off, and most of the main fishing areas have reached their maximum potential. We all are well aware of the effect of global warming, fast changing environment ozone depletion, drying fresh water resources, lowered level of ground water, increased pollution of water and air, depleting water resources. With all these effect in the recent past we can’t expect much from Mother Nature by the middle of this century. Sustaining fish supplies from capture fisheries will, therefore, not be able to meet the growing global demand for aquatic

food. In past few months some surprising reports have come for the depletion of wild stock of fisheries resources and the percentage contribution of the aquaculture products, which points clearly towards the growing need and demand of the farmed products. As published in Science journal after four years of study (Worm et a l, Science, Vol. 314 3/11/2006 ) that if present fishing practices are allowed to continue, there will be no viable ocean fishing in just another 40 to 50 years. This study warned of the impending collapse of global fish stocks and marine ecosystems by 2050.

So, aquaculture appears to have the potential to make a significant contribution to this increasing demand for aquatic food in most regions of the world; however, in order to achieve this, the sector (and aqua farmers) will face significant challenges.

The phenomenal growth in world aquaculture over the last fifty years has been most notable in Asia and the Pacific region and, in particular, in China . The aquaculture development in China has resulted in significant differences in the present magnitude and the rate of growth of aquaculture among continents. This makes it necessary for any assessment of global aquaculture development to be done on a region-by-region basis.

World aquaculture has grown at an average annual rate of 8.8 percent from 1950 to 2004 (FAO), compared with

3% for terrestrial livestock and 1.5 % for capture fisheries. This growth is expected to continue. Asian aquaculture farmers continue to contribute about 90% of the world’s aquaculture production, and in 1999 more than 82% of total aquaculture yield was produced in low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs). The growth rate of the aquaculture sector in LIFDCs between 1984 and 1995 was six times faster than that for non-LIFDCs (Rana, 1997; Tacon, 1996).

Aquaculture plays an increasingly important role in the supply and trade of fish products. Aquaculture therefore requires increased recognition in the future fisheries and maritime policy of the European Union and in the implementation of rural and coastal management policies. The driving forces of aquaculture are globalisation, innovation and the retail sector.

Aquaculture has great potential for the production of food, alleviation of poverty and generation of wealth for people living in coastal areas, many of whom are among the poorest in the world. The rapid growth of aquaculture in recent years has been consistent across sub-sectors, from low input systems generating low value products of importance for subsistence and direct food security, to medium and high value products for national and international markets, which are important for improved living standards and foreign currency earning. The great diversity of the sector encompasses very small scale to very large-scale enterprise, implying that aquaculture can contribute significantly to a wide range of development needs.