Why Is Aquaculture Exploding?

With the USA seafood market worth $102 billion, over 50% of all seafood producers across the country procure through aquaculture. So, what is aquaculture? Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the breeding, cultivation, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae, etc. in a controlled environment across a part or all stages of their lifecycle. It can be done in ponds, lakes, ocean coastal waters, and even land tanks. Broadly aquaculture can be classified based on the type of seafood produced: marine or freshwater. Within this, there are product-specific farms such as algae, fish, shellfish, etc. Thus, it is safe to assume the seafood industry is vast and henceforth Aquaculture is growing day by day.

The Aquaculture Boom

For years on, the world’s ocean beds have been exploited with overfishing, wild stocks consumed, and species endangered, reducing its innate ability to provide. As fish consumption witnessed a boom across the world, especially in the USA, suppliers' focus on procuring seafood increased beyond what was sustainable. To prevent further exploitation of the ocean’s natural resources, replenish the habitat, and bridge the gap between supply and demand, the concept of aquaculture became popular. Aquaculture has both environmental and economic benefits. To speak volumes of which, let us look at what Aquaculture brings to the table:

Alternative Procurement Source: 

Aquaculture provides a direct alternative to the exploitative traditional fishing practices used across the world. It also allows the consumption of healthy produce without putting strain on the environment.

Sustainability: 

Aquaculture reduces pressure on natural stocks, wild and endangered species of the ocean are allowed to recuperate and rehabilitate within their natural environment. It is also more sustainable in terms of environmental resources utilized.

Efficiency: 

Aquaculture is more efficient in terms of the efforts required and the volume of gains achieved. It requires relatively less time and resources compared to the volume of seafood produced, thus making it more sustainable. 

Generates Employment: 

the industry has immense growth potential and thus is set to employ more people, boosting the economy.

Integrating Aquaculture with Seafood ERP

According to the UN's Food Agriculture Organization, aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries within sectors of food production. This also means larger scalable aquaculture farms, involving complex systems at each stage. Here, seafood ERP ought to be integrated within the aquaculture farm’s supply chain to ensure smooth operational flow. 

Benefits of Seafood ERP in Aqua-farms

Workflow Management: 

Aquaculture is an extremely complex process, with various stages of cultivation. ERP for seafood will allow meticulous workflow management, dividing tasks and shifts according to the requirements of each aquaculture farm. 

Inventory Management:  

All aquaculture farms face challenges across the lifecycle of the aquatic organisms. They must manage different species at different stages of the lifecycle. An effective seafood ERP solution will aid in better inventory management, documenting and systemizing product and batch level stocks, enhancing the overall process of aquaculture farming making the supply chain lean and more effective. 

Quality Control & Traceability: 

Seafood is an extremely perishable food product, and contamination or spoilage can lead to serious health issues. A food traceability software integrated with Seafood ERP can prevent such issues by identifying critical processes across the supply chain and monitoring them effectively. This will also have an impact on the overall quality of produce delivered via inspection plans, quality tests, and checks thus killing two birds with one stone. 

Operational Efficiency: 

Aquaculture farms have started transporting the organisms live to the processing plant, in tankers. These are then slaughtered, frozen, packed, and sold. ERP for the seafood industry can aid in managing the numerous fleets of delivery vehicles in an organized manner, ensuring seamless transport operations. This not only keeps the seafood produce fresh but also ensures timely delivery in turn avoiding stockouts and leading to satisfied customers. 

With profit being the name of the game, Aquaculture has emerged as the go-to source of seafood procurement. With that in mind, seafood producers need to onboard an effective seafood ERP solution that can fill the gaps in their supply chain. Microsoft partners like Inecta which provide need-based subscriptions for seafood ERP solutions act as the perfect platform for seafood producers to leverage ERP for seafood. With the competitive landscape intensifying, margins diminishing and more demanding customers, aquaculture integrated with ERP for seafood has emerged as the only means to survive. For if Aquaculture is the boat, seafood ERP is how seafood producers float in profits rather than sink in losses. 

To learn more, please visit inecta.com/aquaculture