ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a broad overview of marine farming as a multi-species and diverse industry that transcends complex biomes, ecosystems, governance arrangements and social acceptability levels, to mention only a few of the current and future issues impacting development. It aims to present a broad overview of mariculture, and describes production trends at different geographical scales including global, regional, national and local level examples to help identify emerging patterns in production. The chapter explores the development of the sector through reflecting on issues identified in developed countries and lessons learned using a case study from a developing country. Approximately 89 per cent of all global aquaculture production, measured by volume of species farmed, occurs in Asia, with China accounting for more than 60 per cent in 2010. Production trends vary significantly around the world depending on: biophysical features of coastal areas that determine the species that are suitable for mariculture, economic conditions, political and technological impacts among others.
