Fish from Farms: Hazardous to Healthy

Improvements to Aquaculture Making Fish & Seafood Safer to Eat

Jul 17, 2008

As health-conscious consumers' demand stricter standards for how farmed fish and seafood are raised, supermarket chains are reacting with new guidelines

Upon the recommendation of the American Heart Association, fish should be eaten twice a week for the omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart. During the year 2006, Americans ate approximately 16.5 pounds of seafood annually. Now that health-concious consumers are demanding stricter standards for the way fish and seafood are raised, supermarket chains are reacting and being more selective as to the quality of the product.

According to the United Nations, as the natural environment in which fish and seafood normally thrive deteriorates, more than half of it is raised in farm settings. This seven-billion dollar industry will become even more prevalent as natural fisheries become exhausted. However, as consumers began to rebel against the environment in which they are raised, some large grocery chains decided to set up their own guidelines to determine the health and safety of the fish sold in their stores.

Past Fish-Farming Methods

Aqua-farms are located on land or in the oceans. The practices in the past were so terrible that as much as 40% of the fish died before being brought to market. In cramped enclosures such as polluted concrete tanks, pools and ponds, the fish swam in their own feces with the result that many suffered from diseases, debilitation injuries and infections. The practice was to feed them antibiotic laden food to keep them alive.

Changing Fish-Farming Methods

Because of the demand from consumers and environmentalist, supermarkets are responding by setting new standards that will make fish-farming more humane and healthier. Although there are some farmers already using environmentally-based and healthy methods, the impact of the huge buying power of the supermarkets will impact the industry as a whole.

Among those already reflecting changes are Wal-Mart’s farmed shrimp that now adheres to the Aquaculture Certification Council guidelines and Wegman’s, which worked with the Environmental Defense Fund on a farmed-shrimp policy that, includes bans on antibiotics.

The new plan developed by Whole Foods is the first comprehensive set of aquaculture guidelines by a major retailer. Two years ago it began consulting with environmental groups and scientists to develop the program. The new policy will apply to all frozen, fresh and canned seafood, except mollusks and will include prohibiting preservatives, antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals. It will ban farms in wetlands and mangroves and limit the amount of wild fish used as feed.

According to John Hocevar, Greenpeace’s oceans campaign director, the fish and seafood industry in general seems to realize there is a problem and to varying degrees are working on it. Just as the public demanded organic eggs and milk, free range chickens and grass-fed beef, farm-raised fish is now joining the list of more natural and more healthful foods.

The copyright of the article Fish from Farms: Hazardous to Healthy in Healthy Cooking is owned by Martha R. Gore. Permission to republish Fish from Farms: Hazardous to Healthy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.