Interest in the large-scale development of aquaculture as a manageable food production system has intensified considerably during the past decade. The escalation of development efforts stems, by and large, from 1) the need to produce additional fish protein to meet the demand of rapidly increasing populations; 2) the fact that production from aquaculture is related to manageable inputs, e.g., control of the production process makes aquaculture less susceptible than capture fisheries to unpredictable natural influences; 3) the leveling off of world catch from conventional capture fisheries and 4) the expected reduction in catch by certain major fish-consuming countries brought about by the extension of economic zones of other countries in marine waters. This article takes an overview look at these issues in a global context.