Aquaculture
Although seafood is advocated as a health food that supplies a package of many nutrients, some of which seafood is the only quality source for, many consumers have been avoiding it because of environmental concerns. And these are valid worries:
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- 93 million tons of fish were caught worldwide in 2013—about 20% of that is from illegal fishing
- The number of marine species has decreased by 39% in the last 40 years
- The number of apex predators in the oceans (such as tuna and swordfish) have decreased by 90% since the 1960’s, throwing the entire ocean’s ecosystem balance off
- 88% of fish stocks are considered “overfished” in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, yet the European Union is considered the world’s largest importer of fish
Bottom line: we need to cut back fishing in our oceans. A lot.
However, a lot of people don’t realize that, thanks to modern farming methods, we can continue consuming the same amount of fish while decreasing the amount of wildlife we remove from the oceans. How? Aquaculture. Fishwatch, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (better known as NOAA), presents aquaculture as the best solution to reversing overfishing:
“Aquaculture is the farming, breeding, rearing, and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of water environments including ponds, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Aquaculture produces all sorts of fish, shellfish, and seaweeds including food fish, sport fish, bait fish, ornamental fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae, sea vegetables, and fish eggs. Aquaculture also includes the production of fish and shellfish released into the wild to rebuild wild populations.
Approximately half the seafood eaten worldwide—including in the United States—is farm-raised. Because harvest from wild fisheries has peaked globally, aquaculture is widely recognized as a necessary way to meet the seafood demands of a growing population. As a result, aquaculture is the fastest growing form of food production in the world.”
This can be done in many different ways, but the most common is what can best be described as a “fish farm.” These operations are basically man-made sea animal habitats that mass produce the stock for harvest in a very similar fashion as with livestock species… just underwater.
However, many aquaculture entities are actually built directly in the ocean. Although offshore aquaculture systems have been used internationally for some time, in 2016, the first plans were announced for offshore aquaculture operations to be built for Americans. Currently in the United States, over 90% of the seafood consumed is imported. Offshore aquaculture plans were also prompted by growing concerns about the decreasing amount of arable land and water available for farming on land. One study published by PMC found that “there is sufficient research for informed decisions about the effects of aquaculture siting to achieve a sustainable offshore aquaculture industry that complements other uses of the marine environment.”
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Photo from JHU Water Institute
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Many consumers equate these systems with factory farms (people believe they are cruel and produce waste that turns into pollution). However, as I discussed in the post, The Pros and Cons of Fishing, fish do not possess the cognitive processers necessary to feel pain. Furthermore, if the marine stock really did suffer in unfavorable farm conditions, the farm would not be productive.
As for sustainability, it’s important for people to realize that aquaculture is the solution to an environmental problem… it’s farmers stepping up to the plate because they care about the environment just as much as you do. The truth is that stringent regulations concerning aquaculture are put into place both by federal and state laws, and additional ones are added by food retail companies or corporate partners.
These mandates are the result of many years of research that developed the eco-friendliest ways to grow marine life out of the oceans without burdening the environment. The regulations are continuously investigated by agencies such as the National Ocean Service, who meet with producers to discuss problems and study the long-term effects of the systems. The reports from these investigations are used by the government to tighten up or improve certain regulations to progress the sustainability of the aquaculture industry.
Another concern of high volumes of sea life being produced in such close quarters is that of mercury poisoning. One study published by PubMed evaluated the mercury levels in commercial fish species, and found that “fish from intensive farming showed low levels of total mercury,” but also warned that species of higher trophic levels will have more concentrated amounts of mercury because the toxins bioaccumulate as they’re eaten. This is also the reason that pregnant mothers should not consume shellfish: although the mercury might not affect the mother, the toxins are magnified when passed onto the placenta and can have horrible side effects.
As I discussed in my Nutrition Series, (this advice is not meant for pregnant women), the problem with mercury is that it keeps our bodies from using selenium causing dangerous deficiencies. However, fish have natural amounts of selenium present, so, as long as you consume high enough amounts of selenium either from the fish or from other food sources to counteract the mercury, you will not suffer from the toxin.
In conclusion, aquaculture is yet another very misunderstood ag practice that solves all of the problems critics are trying to blame it for. The truth is that these systems are better for the environment, for our health, and for the hungry.
As for sustainability, it’s important for people to realize that aquaculture is the solution to an environmental problem… it’s farmers stepping up to the plate because they care about the environment just as much as you do. The truth is that stringent regulations concerning aquaculture are put into place both by federal and state laws, and additional ones are added by food retail companies or corporate partners.
These mandates are the result of many years of research that developed the eco-friendliest ways to grow marine life out of the oceans without burdening the environment. The regulations are continuously investigated by agencies such as the National Ocean Service, who meet with producers to discuss problems and study the long-term effects of the systems. The reports from these investigations are used by the government to tighten up or improve certain regulations to progress the sustainability of the aquaculture industry.
Another concern of high volumes of sea life being produced in such close quarters is that of mercury poisoning. One study published by PubMed evaluated the mercury levels in commercial fish species, and found that “fish from intensive farming showed low levels of total mercury,” but also warned that species of higher trophic levels will have more concentrated amounts of mercury because the toxins bioaccumulate as they’re eaten. This is also the reason that pregnant mothers should not consume shellfish: although the mercury might not affect the mother, the toxins are magnified when passed onto the placenta and can have horrible side effects.
As I discussed in my Nutrition Series, (this advice is not meant for pregnant women), the problem with mercury is that it keeps our bodies from using selenium causing dangerous deficiencies. However, fish have natural amounts of selenium present, so, as long as you consume high enough amounts of selenium either from the fish or from other food sources to counteract the mercury, you will not suffer from the toxin.
In conclusion, aquaculture is yet another very misunderstood ag practice that solves all of the problems critics are trying to blame it for. The truth is that these systems are better for the environment, for our health, and for the hungry.