Aquaculture: The Birth of an Industry

This article was published in the September 1990 issue of The Freeman.

In recent years, growing health awareness has led to a rising demand for fish and other seafood. Despite this, American fishermen are finding it difficult to earn a living. As is often the case, the industry has become increasingly politicized.

The free market has received much of the blame for the problems facing the fishing industry, and the solutions proposed by the industry almost always involve an expansion of government controls. But the fact is, the flee-market, private-property system hasn’t been allowed to operate, and this is the real cause of the industry’s woes. The birth of a new industry—aquaculture—offers a free market alternative. Read more.