HATCHERIES

A fish hatchery is
a "place for
artificial breeding,
hatching and
rearing through
the early life
stages of animals,
finfish and
shellfish in
particular".[1]
Hatcheries
produce larval and
juvenile fish (and
shellfish and crustaceans) primarily to support the
aquaculture industry where they are transferred to
on-growing systems i.e. fish farms to reach harvest
size. Some species that are commonly raised in
hatcheries include Pacific oysters, shrimp, Indian
prawns, salmon, tilapia and scallops. The value of
global aquaculture production is estimated to be US
$98.4 billion in 2008 with China significantly
dominating the market, however the value of
aquaculture hatchery and nursery production has
yet to be estimated[2]. Additional hatchery
production for small-scale domestic uses, which is
particularly prevalent in South-East Asia or for
conservation programmes, has also yet to be
quantified[3][2].
There is much interest in supplementing exploited
stocks of fish by releasing juveniles that may be wild
caught and reared in nurseries before transplanting,
or produced solely within a hatchery[4]. Culture of
finfish larvae has been utilised extensively in the
United States in stock enhancement efforts to
replenish natural populations[5]. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service have established a National Fish
Hatchery System to support the conservation of
native fish species.