Published April 20, 2026 | Version v1
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Aquaculture in freshwater: the interaction between growth systems, genetic factors, and the nutritional quality of fish

Authors/Creators

  • 1. ROR icon University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest
  • 2. EDMO icon Fisheries Research and Development Station Nucet

Description

The increasing global demand for fish is driving the intensification of freshwater aquaculture practices, which are considered a sustainable solution for ensuring food security. This review article comparatively analyzes how different freshwater aquaculture systems, such as pond-based systems, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), aquaponics, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), influence fish quality and nutritional profile. The operational principles, advantages, and limitations of these systems are evaluated in the context of reducing environmental impact and optimizing production efficiency. The analysis highlights that the nutritional value of fish is closely dependent on freshwater rearing conditions, including water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, water chemical quality, stocking density, and feeding regime. In addition, the interaction between environmental and genetic factors plays a key role in determining the final product characteristics, such as protein and lipid content, texture, and overall flesh quality. Genetic resource management and selective breeding programs, contribute to the development of fish populations that are more resistant to stress and diseases and better adapted to the variable conditions of freshwater ecosystems.

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