Why is it mainly salmon and trout that are farmed commercially?
Salmonids meet all the essential criteria for attractive aquaculture candidates: salmonids are in demand as a market commodity; they are easily marketed; we know how to breed, hatch, and rear them in captivity; we know enough about their nutritional requirements so that we can grow them as well as they grow in nature; and we have a long history of rearing them, mainly for enhancement purposes. The breakthrough in marine culture of salmonids occurred in Norway in the 1960s when the Vik brothers began culturing rainbow trout in marine enclosures (Cold Water- Aquaculture in Atlantic Canada 1995). A significant amount of research has been done around the world on a variety of salmonids which has resulted in a wealth of knowledge about salmonid life cycles, and this knowledge has lead to improved salmonid production practices.
