Aquaculture, also known as fish farming, is a highly controversial solution to food shortage problems. With an increasing population “The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that an additional 40 million tons of aquatic food will be required by 2030 — just to maintain current levels of consumption”. Fish farming will not only meet these new needs, but it also boost the economy. In British Columbia, Canada, farmed fish are actually the top agricultural export. Between that and the help alleviating world hunger, it is hard to even notice any potential problems that could arise from farmed fish.
However, there are many concerns that arise with fish farming. Not only are these fish taken out of natural environments and raised in cages, but due to their high concentration in a small area, disease is much more prevalent. Since these cages are kept in open water, the diseases still spread to the wild salmon, creating unfixable health problems such as sea lice. Furthermore, fish farming interferes with traditional practices of First Nations. So in this case, culture is affecting nature which is affecting culture. The ultimate solution is to improve wild salmon stocks, but if that doesn’t work, what is the next best option? I think fish farming is ultimately detrimental to both nature and culture, but decide for yourself:
-Rebecca Teel
Fish farming is definitely a hot topic because the global population continues to increase and people are problem-solving about how we are going to be able to feed everyone in the next century. One of the main concerns about fish farming is, "Is it healthy?" Many sources believe that wild fish holds greater nutritional value than farmed fish. I wonder if it is possible to create fish farms that mimic the appearance of a real stream, and contain similar vitamins and minerals in the stream environment. Would these man-made conditions add nutrients to farmed fish and make it equal to or better than the nutritional value of wild fish?
ReplyDeleteAnother concern is the presence of chemicals; for example, at my house we avoid farmed fish as much as possible for mercury and other concerns. Unless we closely monitor the conditions in which fish are farmed, I think we are right to be concerned about their nutritional value.
-Christina Heinlen