Factory farms of the ocean - Part II

There are alternatives to conventional fish farming:

• Polyculture and Integrated Aquaculture
• Wild Fishing

Polyculture and Integrated Aquaculture uses an eco-system approach to growing fish. The system can be land-based in tanks or "ponds" or can be open-water in bays or off shore. This approach pairs complementary species such as: Salmon, mussels and kelp. The waste from the salmon produces ammonia and phosphorus which the kelp extracts from the water. Mussels filter organic bottom level organisms. This approach keeps the enclosures cleaner - reducing or eliminating the need for antibiotics and fungicides as well as keeping the fish waste from contaminating waterways. Polyculture and Integrated Aquaculture is not used on a large scale, setting up such a system can be prohibitively expensive and it does not have a fast return on investment, the conventional ways of fish farming are far cheaper and are more lucrative in the short term.

By far, the best practice is sustainable wild fishing. The fish live their entire lives in the open ocean, they are less susceptible to the disease of their farmed counterparts and they have less chemicals in their bodies (except mercury).


What you can do to mitigate the harmful effects of farmed fish
First, I want to point out that being vegan, vegetarian or reducing your consumption of animal protein is the best choice to alleviate the environmental impact of farmed fish or wild fishing. In fact, the average person only needs 46-56 grams or 1.6-1.9 ounces of protein a day. The average American consumes 3.5 ounces and some people consume as much as 9 ounces of animal protein per day.


Purchasing sustainably wild caught fish is the best choice, for environmental as well as health reasons. Wild fish are not anti-biotic laden and have not been treated with other harmful chemicals such as fungicides. Check out this eco-friendly fish guide from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to make better choices for fish consumption. EDF also works with fisheries around the world, helping them set up "catch shares" where quotas are set for wild fishing, helping to ensure fish populations do not collapse. 


Some grocery stores clearly display the country of origin and if the fish are farmed or wild - if you are not sure, ask. Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label on packages of fish - they only assess wild caught fisheries. The MSC certifies that fisheries are using sustainable methods of fishing:  e.g. avoiding overfishing, limiting bycatch (unintentionally catching other species such as dolphins and turtles) and agree to respect closed zones. 


Other animal species depend on stable global fish populations. To ensure we retain the rich biodiversity of this planet, we should only take what we need and leave the rest for others.