Aquaculture and You University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute

This podcast introduces the broad subject of raising fish for food, explaining why aquaculture is so important for the future of America's food supply, and why learning about aquaculture is so empowering. The early origins of aquaculture are revealed, with a review of ancient aqua cultural practices in China, Rome, and medieval Europe. The first scientific approaches to aquaculture are discussed, leading up to the start of the Industrial Revolution.

This podcast looks at the impact of the Industrial Revolution on commercial fishing, and how the technological advances of the 19th century began to stress wild fish populations. This led to the development of fish hatcheries, and a renewed interest in the propagation of fish. The origins of marine science and fisheries management are covered up to the mid-20th century, and the episode shows how all these things influenced the development of today's aquaculture.

This episode picks up in the 1950s and 1960s, when new technologies made the practice of fish farming much more practical. The podcast explains the launching of the "Blue Revolution" that was intended to do for fish farming what the "Green Revolution" had done for agriculture. The key technological developments are explained, the the first attempts at a second major wave of international aquaculture are chronicled, in particular the founding of Sea Grant.

A visit to an aquacultural production facility that raises yellow perch, and makes donations for the under-privileged.

Human impact on the Great Lakes has forever changed the original ecosystem and has led to profound changes in the fisheries that have developed there. The history of the yellow perch fishery and many others is detailed, in particular the mysterious decline of the once-massive stocks of yellow perch.

Yellow perch present significant hurdles to aquaculturists but also promise rich rewards for those who can master the art of raising them. Aquaculture specialists Jim Held, Chris Hartleb, Fred Binkowski and Jim Hurley share their knowledge about the science of culturing yellow perch.