History of Fish Farming

Aquaculture is not a modern invention. Already more than 4,000-5,000 years ago there is evidence that people actively held and harvested fish in constructed water systems - long before industrial feed, hatcheries and RAS.

Ancient Egypt - paintings and reliefs

In ancient Egypt, tomb paintings and reliefs show fish held and taken in constructed ponds and garden pools along the Nile - early pond culture rather than today's floating net pens. The literature often cites evidence around 2500 BCE (over 4,500 years ago) for built ponds, and more widely accepted scenes of line-fishing for tilapia in irrigated ponds around 2000-1500 BCE. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) recurs in art and had its own hieroglyph. (See e.g. the review by Rogers 2024, Journal of Archaeological Research, citing Balarin & Hatton 1979; Brewer & Friedman 1989; Nash 2011; Costa-Pierce 1987.)

China - archaeological finds

In China, archaeology points to even older roots. At the Early Neolithic site of Jiahu (Henan), body-length distributions of carp remains have been interpreted as early managed carp culture/water-level control around 6200-5700 BCE - about 8,000 years ago, contemporary with early rice farming and water management (Nakajima et al. 2019, Nature Ecology & Evolution: "Common carp aquaculture in Neolithic China dates back 8,000 years"). Later written sources include Shang-period oracle bones on fishing in garden ponds and Fan Li's carp-culture treatise (Yang Yu Jing) from about the 5th century BCE.

Pond culture then spread and was refined across Europe and Asia over the centuries. Modern aquaculture accelerated in the 20th century with dry feeds, hatchery methods, cages and later RAS.

Rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon became global industrial species. In the Nordic countries, inland farming grew with raceways and ponds while cages dominated in Norway. Land-based post-smolt and food-fish RAS now drive a new investment wave.