Aquaculture takes place on every continent except Antarctica, spanning freshwater ponds, coastal waters, open ocean cages, and even indoor tanks on dry land. The industry produced over 100 million metric tonnes of seafood and aquatic plants in recent years, with operations ranging from massive industrial farms in China to small family-run ponds in sub-Saharan Africa. Where it happens depends largely on what’s being raised and the natural conditions available.
Freshwater vs. Marine vs. Brackish Environments
Freshwater farming accounts for the largest share of global aquaculture, producing roughly 60 percent of the world’s farmed aquatic animals. These operations take place in inland ponds, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and constructed tanks. Species like tilapia, catfish, and carp thrive in these settings, and the infrastructure is relatively simple to build, which is why freshwater farming dominates in developing countries across Asia and Africa.
Marine aquaculture happens in the ocean, typically in sheltered bays, fjords, and nearshore waters. This is where you’ll find salmon pens, oyster beds, and mussel lines. Brackish-water aquaculture occupies the zone where rivers meet the sea, producing about 4.1 million tonnes annually. Shrimp and prawn farming account for more than half of brackish-water output, concentrated in tropical and subtropical coastal areas of Southeast Asia and Latin America.
The Countries That Produce the Most
China dominates aquaculture like no other country dominates any global food sector. It accounts for 36 percent of the world’s farmed aquatic animals, with an estimated 74.1 million metric tonnes of total seafood production in 2024. What’s striking is the balance: China produced about 35.6 million metric tonnes from freshwater systems and 25.2 million from ocean-based operations. Provinces along the Yangtze River and the Pearl River Delta are major freshwater hubs, while coastal provinces like Shandong, Guangdong, and Fujian drive marine production.
India follows at 8 percent of global output, with shrimp farming along the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and extensive freshwater carp ponds in West Bengal. Indonesia contributes 7 percent, Vietnam 5 percent, and Peru 3 percent. Together, these five countries account for nearly 60 percent of all farmed aquatic animals worldwide. The concentration in Asia reflects a combination of long aquaculture traditions, warm climates that accelerate fish growth, and access to cheap labor.
Where Salmon Farming Happens
Atlantic salmon farming is concentrated in cold, clean coastal waters with strong tidal currents. Norway is the clear leader, producing more than double the output of its closest competitor, Chile. Scotland and Canada round out the top four, and together these countries accounted for 91 percent of world Atlantic salmon production as of 2018.
Norwegian farms line the country’s western fjords from Rogaland to Troms, where deep, sheltered waters and cold temperatures create ideal conditions. Chile’s farms cluster in the Los Lagos and Aysén regions of Patagonia. In Canada, most salmon farming takes place in British Columbia and New Brunswick. Atlantic salmon is also farmed as a non-native species in Tasmania, Australia. Each of these locations shares a common profile: cold water between roughly 6 and 16 degrees Celsius, protection from extreme wave action, and strong water flow to flush waste and deliver oxygen.
Seaweed Farming Along Coastlines
Seaweed is one of the fastest-growing segments of aquaculture, and it takes place almost entirely in shallow nearshore waters. East and Southeast Asia produce the vast majority. China, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Philippines grow species used for food, food additives, and industrial gels.
In the United States, seaweed farming has expanded rapidly in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Farmers grow varieties like sugar kelp, bull kelp, ribbon kelp, and dulse, mostly on longlines suspended about 4 to 8 feet below the surface during winter months. Alaska alone produced more than 112,000 pounds of kelp in 2019. These farms require no freshwater, fertilizer, or feed, which makes them attractive in regions looking to diversify coastal economies without heavy environmental costs.
Indoor and Land-Based Facilities
Not all aquaculture takes place in natural water bodies. Recirculating aquaculture systems, known as RAS, grow fish indoors in large tanks where water is continuously filtered, cleaned, and reused. These facilities can be built almost anywhere because they don’t depend on local water temperature or ocean access.
RAS technology is being used primarily for high-value species like Atlantic salmon. In the United States, a network of research institutions including the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the University of Maine, and the University of Maryland supports the development of land-based salmon farming. The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute in West Virginia has been a pioneer in this space. In Europe, large-scale RAS salmon facilities are operating or under construction in Denmark, Norway, and Scotland. The appeal is reducing the environmental footprint of ocean-based pen farming while locating production closer to major consumer markets.
Tropical Shrimp and Prawn Regions
Shrimp farming is one of the most economically valuable forms of aquaculture, and it takes place almost exclusively in tropical and subtropical coastal zones. The global belt runs from Southeast Asia through South Asia and into Latin America. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Ecuador are the largest producers. Farms are typically built in low-lying coastal areas where seawater or brackish water can be channeled into shallow earthen ponds.
Ecuador has become a particularly dominant force in the global shrimp market, with farms concentrated along the Pacific coast near Guayaquil. In Asia, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and India’s Andhra Pradesh coast are major production zones. These regions share warm year-round temperatures, access to brackish water, and flat terrain that makes pond construction straightforward.
Expanding Regions in Africa and the Middle East
Aquaculture is still in early stages across much of Africa and the Middle East, but growth is accelerating. Countries like Egypt, Nigeria, and Ghana already have established freshwater tilapia and catfish farming. In the Middle East, Turkey has become a regional hub for sea bass and sea bream production in net cages along its Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.
Training programs are now reaching countries where aquaculture infrastructure barely exists. Participants from Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Libya, Somalia, and Syria have been learning net cage management, fish disease prevention, and feed nutrition through international programs hosted in Turkey. Mauritania, for instance, is looking to develop both inland catfish and tilapia farming alongside its existing capture fisheries. The common driver is rising demand for affordable protein in regions where wild fish stocks are under pressure.
Open Ocean and Offshore Sites
The newest frontier is moving aquaculture farther from shore into deeper, more exposed ocean waters. In the United States, NOAA has been identifying Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in federal waters, starting with sites in the Gulf of Mexico and off Southern California, with Alaska added more recently. These zones sit within the Exclusive Economic Zone, beyond state territorial waters, where stronger currents disperse waste more effectively than in sheltered coastal bays.
Offshore farming uses large submersible cages anchored to the seafloor in deep water. Several countries are already operating at this scale. Norway has deployed massive offshore salmon structures, and China has launched deep-sea aquaculture platforms in the South China Sea. The trade-off is higher construction and maintenance costs in exchange for reduced conflict with coastal users, less disease pressure from crowded nearshore environments, and access to cleaner water.