ABSTRACT
The term “seafood” generally refers to a variety of groups of biologically divergent animals consisting not only of fish, whether of freshwater, estuarine, or marine habitats, but also of shellfish which include crustacea and mollusks. The crustacea comprises of crayfish, crab, shrimp, and lobster, while the mollusks could be bivalves such as mussel, oyster, and scallop, univalve creatures such as abalone, snail, and conch, and cephalopods which include squid, cuttlefish, and octopus. Fisheries provide a vital source of food, employment, trade, and economic wellbeing for people throughout the world. In the early 1970s fish was considered as a resource against hunger in the world. Presently, fish has gained importance as a health food, because several species have been identified as rich in easily digestible proteins containing all the essential amino acids, therapeutically important polyunsaturated fatty acids, in addition to calcium, iodine, vitamins, and many other nutrients. Fishery products constitute a major portion of international trade, which is a valuable source of foreign exchange to many developing countries. Fisheries sector enjoys some advantages over other animal production systems. First, fish is the cheapest source of animal protein and a health food. Second, high fecundity (up to 1 million eggs) and fast growth rate of fishes have no parallel among other animal protein sources, like livestock including poultry. These biological advantages offer considerable benefits to fish as a tool to achieve nutritional and social security. While contribution of agriculture to gross domestic product (GDP) is decreasing all over the world, that of fisheries is increasing in most countries.
