Here’s a look at aquaculture and its long-term effects on fish, people, and other animals. While some fish farms can follow sustainable practices, that’s not always the case. And with this industry regularly touted as a paragon of food production, whether you eat seafood or not, you should know these seven key concerns about farmed fish. When fish consume this type of feed, they can accumulate higher levels of saturated fats and have a higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which isn’t as desirable as the reverse. “We have caught all the big fish and now we are going after their food,” says the non-profit Oceana, which blames aquaculture and commercial fishing’s voracious hunger for declines of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, tuna, bass, salmon, albatross, penguins, and other species. But the damage doesn’t end there, because eagles, bears, orcas, and other predators depend on salmon for their existence. Drops in wild salmon numbers cause these species to decline as well. According to this theory then, fish farms would actually drive more fishing, which can hurt wild populations. The net result: Fish farming might crank up the pressure on already-depleted populations of wild fish around the world. If you want guidance on selecting a sustainable fish to eat, check out these resources from Seafood Watch (a program from the Monterey Bay Aquarium) and the Environmental Defense Fund. The bottom line? Here’s one solution to the farmed fish dilemma: Shop for sustainable seafood, wild or farmed.
