Is Farm-Raised Seafood Sustainable or Not? (Part 3)
Posted on | April 7, 2010 | 1 Comment
Finally, SOP unveils answers to the question we have all been waiting for: What specific farm-raised seafood products are most sustainable? Below we offer good and bad selections of farmed seafood. But, because nothing is absolute in sustainable seafood, you should still ask questions at the restaurant or fish counter.
A rope of cultured mussels
As a class, cultured shellfish are a wonderfully sustainable choice. Oysters, mussels, and clams are filter feeders. This means they can actually improve water quality in areas where they are raised by filtering out excess nutrients. Shellfish are usually raised in near shore waters and are suspended by ropes, cages, or bags. Many of these aquaculture operations tend to have little negative impact on the surrounding ecosystem. The best shellfish farms are in well flushed waters and raise species native to the area.
Within the finfish class, most of the fish raised in the United States are great choices. At the top of the sustainability list are usually catfish, trout, tilapia, Arctic char, and barramundi. In the U.S. these species are raised in inland ponds or completely closed above ground systems. The risk of escapement for these operations is effectively zero. And, in general, these fish are efficient in converting feed with little to no protein into protein on our plates.
Farm-raised Arctic char
On the flip side, many farmed seafood products are not sustainable at this time. As noted in Part 2, salmon grown in aquaculture operations outside the U.S. is often a poor choice. Farm-raised freshwater eel (commonly seen on sushi menus as unagi) should be avoided. In order to raise eel, farmers must first collect juveniles from wild stocks which are largely in bad shape. And, if you happen to encounter farmed tuna, chances are the product cannot be classified as sustainable. Many pounds of fish protein are needed as feed to produce a one-pound tuna steak.
Part 3 concludes this series covering seafood from aquaculture…for now. SOP will keep you aware of major developments as the industry continues to evolve. In the meantime, be sure to ask what type of farm your seafood comes from and where it was raised.
Tags: aquaculture > arctic char > barramundi > catfish > ecosystem > farm-raised > fish > retailer > salmon > seafood > sustainable > tilapia > tuna > unagi
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April 11th, 2010 @ 1:08 PM
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