Despite a tradition that dates back to the very ancient times, salt water fish culture
as a profitable industry is only a recent development in India, largely prompted by the urgent
need to increase our much-needed protein food. But within the past half a century even
after the realisation of our potential, it must be said at the outset that we have not made
adequate progress in harnessing our resources, especially when compared to the great strides
this industry has taken in the east-Asian countries or along the Adriatic coast of the Mediterranean
region. Generally speaking, fresh water fish culture has shown much greater
promise and improvement and this practice is fast developing in our country, perhaps on
account of easier management and quicker results that are obtained. The following discussion,
however, will be confined to some of the special aspects involved in fish farming in
environments that are more akin to marine conditions, and the scope for improvement in the
existing methods of salt water fish culture