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Wild versus Farm- or Ocean-Raised Fish?

  
     
  This is a complex issue to understand, I think.  Logically we'd think farm-raised (by the way, "ocean-raised" fish is the same as "farm-raised" just a new marketing name.  Farm-raised fish are fish in pens in the ocean and when this got a bad wrap they changed the name, that's all) would be better for our environment and better for us.  But we have learned that farm raised means that the fish don't get lots of swimming room, are prone to disease (and therefore fed antibiotics) and can get out and infect the fish in the wild.  They are also high in mercury. 

Let's look at Salmon, for example, since it's an incredibly healthful fish full of omega 3s.  Since Farmed Salmon are fed pellets instead of what they eat in the wild three elements are affected. 

  1. First, the food that they normally eat in the wild converts into powerful omega 3s for us; the farm raised salmon doesn't have as high nutritional value. 
  2. Second, the food they eat naturally helps them turn that beautiful pink color to which we are accustomed; the farm raised are therefore fed colorings to make them more palatable to our eye.  
  3. Finally, the food they eat affects how they taste and there is truly no comparison in flavor or texture.

When choosing to eat fish, we must consider:

  1. The importance of fish to our health with valuable Omega-3s, protein, low fat.
  2. The sustainability of the fish, that it is not overfished and that it is safe for our environment.
  3. The health of the fish and the life of the fish (what it eats, how it lives).
  4. Cost.  We really can't afford to eat farmed salmon.
  5. Taste.

 

  
 


We do know that fish is important for our health.
 

  
 

Fish, particularly cold water oily fish, have valuable Omega 3s.  We are just now exploring all the benefits of these EFAs and are finding that they are invaluable to good health.  They help reduce risks of heart disease, cancer, age-related blindness and eye problems, arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases as well as keep a healthy circulatory system.  We should strive for two to three servings (total of 6 - 12 ounces per week as one serving is considered 3 but can be as much as 6 ounces) per week of a fish high in Omega 3s.

“The National Cancer Institute has linked consumption of red meat-- beef, pork and veal--to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including breast cancer. One study found that the risk of breast cancer doubled in postmenopausal women who ate three ounces of red meat a day as compared with women who ate one ounce or less of red meat daily. Instead, emphasize fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon--their omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent breast cancer.” 

--Sola Ogundipe, What Every Women Should Know About Breast Cancer

But it's important that we make sure our fish is Sustainable and safe for the environment.
 

We hear, for example, that Salmon is good for us and we start ordering it only to find out that it's a genetically engineered salmon that is taking over the environment.  Or, we find out, that because of the way the fish is caught, it's habitats are being damaged and it's becoming endangered.  We have to carefully look at the lists of fish that are fished safely, are abundant, and are flourishing naturally.

And it's important we make sure THE FISH is healthy and therefore truly healthful.

Farm-raised fish are raised in small pens in the ocean secured by nets or in ponds, depending upon the fish species.  As with most industries, maximizing revenues is key so they will stock a pond with as many fish as they can leaving very little room for the fish to move about freely and they are fed pellets of food instead of their natural food (sounds like the chicken and cattle scenarios all over again).  This, in turn, doesn't allow them to use their muscles naturally nor convert their natural food into powerful Omega 3s for us. 
Therefore, farm-raised fish doesn't have the health benefits of Wild fish.  Therefore, farm-raised salmon doesn't have the color of natural salmon and they are fed colorings to help make the salmon palatable for our plates. 

"Wild salmon become pink by eating sea creatures like krill, which contain a carotenoid called astaxanthin. Farmed salmon are naturally grayish but turn pink when they are fed various sources of astaxanthin, including one that is chemically synthesized and others that originate from yeast or microalgae."  NY Times, Marian Burros

And of course, it goes, that since they are crammed in next to one another, disease can spread quickly so they are fed antibiotics.  And they are infested with sea lice, 30,000 times more than normal! 
Then they get out of their pens and wreak havoc on our delicate ecosystem.  These farmed fish consume more of our natural resources and infest other salmon with sea lice and other diseases. 
We've heard this story all too often.  Farm-Raised fish is bad for our planet, our bodies and our future.  Make a powerful statement and refuse to eat or purchase farm-raised fish.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org), over 68% of all seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and most of it is industrially produced. Many of these commodities are farm-raised and often involve little oversight regarding antibiotic drug use. While the U.S. government has standards that should ban imports with high levels of antibiotics in seafood, there is essentially no enforcement.  Farmed salmon have more antibiotics administered by weight than any other form of livestock.  Farmed salmon have significantly higher levels of PCBs, dioxin, and other cancer causing agents over wild salmon.

In addition, farm raised salmon do not have the same omega 3:6 profile as wild salmon.  Farm-raised fish contain considerably higher levels, up to four times those of wild salmon, of omega 6 fatty acids.  People with inflammatory disease want to increase omega 3 fatty acids while avoiding junk food, high fat foods, sugar, fast foods and nightshade vegetables that might aggravate the condition.  Arachidonic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid, is something that aggravates inflammation in people and may add to chronic pain.

We eat fish for the omega 3s and to lower your risk of a heart attack.  We find out that the fish is high in mercury.  Mercury can actually increase our risk of heart attack.  Our waters, and therefore our fish, have become contaminated with mercury because of all the industrial pollution.  When it enters the water, it is converted into toxic methylmercury and it is consumed by the smaller fish and then the smaller fish are consumed by the larger fish.  Larger predatory fish are higher in mercury than smaller fish because it accumulates in their bodies over time.  The older and larger the fish, the higher it's levels of mercury.  Mercury is of particular concern to growing children and babies in utero.  Therefore, women hoping to one day become pregnant (mercury stores in your fat, remember),  nursing and pregnant moms, as well as growing children need to be even more cautious.  It's important that we choose wild fish that is lowest in levels of mercury.  As a guideline, adults should not exceed 0.5ppm of mercury and the women/nursing/pregnant /children group should not exceed 0.2ppm per week.

Latest study indicates that Omega 3s are also helpful in fighting the battle of the bulge!

Many fish, including farmed salmon, are also contaminated with PCBs.  Farmed salmon has far higher (7 times!) levels of PCBs in their system than wild salmon.  To be safer, trim all fat and skin and internal organs from your wild salmon before cooking.

Unlike farmed salmon, wild Alaskan salmon species grow free of antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic coloring agents, growth hormones and GMOs, and Wild Alaskan Salmon has the least amount of mercury of almost any fish.

Cost:

It may seem that farmed salmon are cheaper than the real thing.  The price per pound may indeed be less.  However, we can't really afford farmed salmon.  There is actually a Net Loss with Farmed salmon.  How so?  Salmon is carnivorous and need to eat fish.  The fish farms instead feed them pellets of fish meal and fish oil (and added coloring agents to give their flesh that orange glow that we are accustomed to seeing on salmon) and this fish meal food is made up of, you guessed it, wild fish.  Instead of making the fish venture off to find their food naturally, we are giving them free processed man-made fish meal.  It takes about 8 tons of wild fish to make up only 1 ton of fish oil for their feed.  That 8 tons of wild fish would have fed a lot many more fish in it's natural state.  Therefore it takes almost 3 tons of fish to make 1 ton of farmed salmon.  This is diminishing our resources of wild fish.  There is a real problem that there may not be enough fish to create the fish meal.  They are now looking into alternative sources of protein and colorings to make them seem "real" to the consumers.  Plans are in the works to force this carnivorous fish into becoming vegetarian.  Of course, there are no studies on the effects this will have on the fish or on the value of the fish as food for us.

Plus the fish aren't eating their natural food.  They are being "forced" to eat ground up fish that are highly contaminated.  Farmed salmon also has "significantly hither concentrations of PCBs, Dioxin, and other cancer-causing contaminants that salmon caught in the wild" according to a new study. 

We also know that farmed fish don't have the same valuable omega 3 as wild salmon.  How much more do we need to consume (and purchase) in order to get those Essential Fatty Acids?  That alone should cause us to pause over the cost.  At the very basics, we eat for nutrition.  That is being washed down.  Farmed fish are not nearly as healthful for us. 

At present, farmed salmon presents a tremendous stress on our delicate aquatic ecosystem.  This means less fish for us as consumers and less fish for our oceans, which in turn affects other fish as well as plant, algae, and other living creatures of the ocean.  How much more will we spend to try and correct this problem in tax dollars and consumer dollars?  It's more expensive to harvest farmed salmon.

Furthermore, farmed fish are in overcrowded pens in the ocean who live in feces infested waters.  They are ridden with sea lice.  This spoils the surrounding marine life and fish migrating (like wild salmon) past the pen.

Since they live in such close proximity, farmed fish are fed antibiotics to ward off infection which could wipe out the entire lot.  They are given other drugs also.  This takes a toll on the surrounding aquatic life as well as on us consumers.  Farmed salmon have more antibiotics administered by weight than any other form of livestock.

Atlantic salmon is being farmed in the Pacific.  Atlantic salmon is actually not a natural species of salmon to the Pacific Ocean.  They are escaping from their nets (or being let free, I mean escaping, when there is a sickness in the pen so that the "fishermen" can avoid a fine and avoid a costly clean up - they are fined if they let them free officially but they are not if they "escape" and that way any additional costs to clear up a disease are also eliminated) and are wreaking havoc on the delicate ecosystem.  They can spread disease.  Many are genetically modified to grow quickly so they eat more.  The farmed salmon that escape are causing the demise of the Wild Pacific Salmon.  Millions "escape" every year.

Once out, farmed fish transmit sea lice to wild salmon and are threatening

Farmed fishing is not sustainable fishing.  Farmed fishing is damaging to our environment and our future.

And who to trust to get wild salmon?  To add another layer to our frustration, now we must know our source is reputable.  Fresh Wild Salmon is abundant in the winter only.  That's the extent of their run.  If we are eating wild salmon any other time and we bought it fresh, it had to have been previously frozen or it is not wild salmon.  According to recent testing done for the New York Times in March 2005, most supermarkets that offer "wild" salmon are really selling farmed salmon with a heftier price tag!  (Farmed goes for $5 - $12/lb while Wild can go for $29/lb.)  The NY Times tested for artificial color in the salmon!  And it's not necessarily the fault of the store, people have seen truckloads of fish get remarked as wild and sent out across the stores.  We at Delicious Organics take a firm stand.  We will not sell fresh "wild" salmon period.  We only carry real wild salmon and at present feel most comfortable with fresh frozen only.  Our salmon comes directly from a very reputable source, Vital Choice.  We are not willing to look for cheaper because we know we can trust the Randy and his team at Vital Choice for truly wild salmon frozen at it's peak of freshness.

The cost, while seeming lower at the grocery store, is actually quite high.  We can't afford to choose farmed salmon.  To protect the harvestable salmon runs, we must eat responsibly.  We owe it to our future to learn the facts.  Choose Wild Pacific Salmon.

 Links:  (additional links at the bottom of this page)

 

 

  
 

Which Fish Are Safe To Eat?

I've combined all the information above and used the resources and the links at the bottom to come up with the lists on this page of fish that are sustainable, not overfished, with secure strong habitats, lowest in mercury and therefore safe to eat and I've highlighted the ones highest in Omega 3s.  I continually update this page so please check back regularly.  We must compare a variety of lists to come up with this one.

This page last updated:  Sunday October 28, 2007 11:53 AM -0800

AVOID because they are overfished or fishing is causing damaged habitats or they are high in mercury, PCBs, or other contaminants:
  • Bass, Smallmouth
  • Bass, Largemouth
  • Bass, Golden
  • Catfish, Wild
  • Caviar, Sturgeon Roe
  • Caviar, Russian
  • Caviar, Iranian
  • Caviar, Caspian Sea
  • Cod, Atlantic
  • Cod, Rock
  • Crab, King (imported)
  • Croaker
  • Dolphin-fish
  • Flounder, Atlantic
  • Flounder, Pacific
  • Flounder, Summer or Fluke
  • Flounder, Winter or Sole
  • Golden Bass
  • Grouper
  • Haddock
  • Hake, Atlantic
  • Halibut, Atlantic*
  • Lake Trout
  • Lingcod
  • Lobster, Caribbean*
  • Lobster, Spiny*
  • Lobster, Rock*
  • Mackerel, King*
  • Mackerel, Gulf*
  • Mahi-Mahi
  • Marlin
  • Monkfish
  • Orange Roughy
  • Oysters, Gulf Coast*
  • Patagonian Toothfish
  • Pike*
  • Pollock, Atlantic
  • Red Snapper, Pacific*
  • Rockfish
  • Sablefish
  • Salmon, Atlantic Wild**
  • Salmon, Farmed*
  • Salmon, Great Lakes**
  • Sea Bass*
  • Sea Bass, Chilean*
  • Sea Bass, White Pacific
  • Shark*
  • Shrimp, Farmed
  • Shrimp, Imported
  • Skate
  • Snapper, Golden*
  • Snapper, Red*
  • Snapper, Imported
  • Snapper, Vermillion
  • Sole, Atlantic
  • Sturgeon
  • Swordfish*
  • Tilefish*
  • Trout, Lake
  • Tuna, Albacore***
  • Tuna, Canned Albacore***
  • Tuna, Bluefin*
  • Tuna, Yellowfin*
  • Walleye
  • White Croaker
 Quick List of ATLANTIC Fish:
  • Cod, Atlantic
  • Flounder, Atlantic
  • Hake, Atlantic
  • Halibut, Atlantic
  • Pollock, Atlantic
  • Salmon, Wild Atlantic**
  • Sole, Atlantic
  * Highest levels of mercury or PCBs!
  **MOST Omega 3s per serving!
Great Lakes fish is contaminated with PCBs, DDT, and PBDE.
 
 
 
 
 
 

EAT because they are low in mercury, not overfished, and habitats are strong:

  • Anchovies
  • Artic Char
  • Bass
  • Catfish, Farmed U.S.
  • Char, Artic
  • Caviar, U.S.
  • Caviar, French
  • Caviar, Farmed
  • Crawfish
  • Croaker, Atlantic
  • Cuttlefish, Golden
 Shellfish in moderation:
  • Abalone, Farmed
  • Clams, Farmed
  • Lobster, Rock - Australian
  • Lobster, Spiny - U.S.
  • Shrimp, Trap Caught

 
  **MOST Omega 3s per serving!
Unlike farmed salmon, wild Alaskan salmon species grow free of antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic coloring agents, growth hormones and GMOs.  Wild Salmon is also much higher in heart and brain healthy Omega 3s over farmed salmon.  And the taste of Wild Pacific or Wild Alaskan Salmon is totally delicious!  It is unlike any farmed or Atlantic fish.  There is a noticeable difference.

Since shellfish are bottom feeders, they should always be eaten in moderation.

Vital Choice Salmon has been tested for mercury levels.  Tuna and Salmon are two of the best sources of Omega 3s.  We feel comfortable eating these fish from Vital Choice (the tuna in moderation, but the salmon regularly) because of the test results we've seen; we encourage you to research it and make your own decision about the amount you feel safe eating:   Wild Pacific Salmon, Vital Choice Wild Troll Caught Tuna, Wild Pacific Halibut.

Eat Cautiously and in moderation, eat one of these only once a month, if at all, because mercury levels are moderate or the fish is coming back but not quite fully there yet.  Please note that pregnant and nursing women should AVOID these fish too. 
  • Bass, Saltwater
  • Bluefish
  • Cod, Black
  • Cod, Pacific
  • Dover Sole
  • Flounder, Pacific
  • Jacksmelt
  • Mackerel, Spanish**
  • Mackerel, Atlantic**
  • Sablefish
  • Sanddabs
  • Sole, Dover
  • Sole, Pacific
  • Tilapia, Farmed
  • Tuna, Canned Light
  • Tuna, Albacore, Troll Caught***

 

 Shellfish in moderation:
  • Calamari
  • Clams, Caught
  • Crab, Blue
  • Crab, Dungeness
  • Crab, Gulf Coast
  • Crab, Snow
  • Lobster, American
  • Lobster, Maine
  • Mussels
  • Oysters, Eastern
  • Scallops
  • Squid

 
 
  More detailed information on:  

 

Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon from Vital Choice:

Does eating wild salmon hurt the environment?

The short answer is no. According to The Audubon Seafood Wallet Card, “not all seafoods are created equal: some carry less environmental impact than others because of differences in their abundance, how they’re caught, and how well fishing is managed. The key is to know which species are in good shape and which are not.” This innovative reference card ranks fisheries by several criteria, one of which is minimized “by-catch.” Wild Alaska Salmon tops the list of 29 seafoods, while farmed salmon ranks near the bottom. Vital Choice Seafood is sustainably harvested.

Vital Choice is Your Best Choice for the Environment

Marine Stewardship Council CertifiedAla  ska's wild salmon runs are among the healthiest on earth. Each year, tens of millions of Alaska salmon return to spawn in their natal rivers. Pristine habitat and well-managed commercial fisheries contribute to the preservation of Alaska’s most precious sustainable natural resource. In September 2000, Alaska salmon received the distinction of becoming the first U.S fishery to be certified sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council environmental Standard. Vital Choice sells only sustainably harvested seafood.

What are the benefits of wild-caught salmon over farmed salmon?

Wild salmon that are harvested from Alaskan waters contain no antibiotics or other added chemicals. According to The Audubon’s Living Oceans Campaign, “farmed salmon are fed more antibiotics per pound of ‘livestock’ than are any other farmed animal.” In fact, 23 million pounds of antibiotics are used annually in US animal production. Regulating the overuse of antibiotics is a serious problem in the fish farming industry, where salmon are raised in remote locations like Chile and British Columbia. A quick search on www.google.com for “farmed salmon” will provide you with compelling evidence of the need to choose your salmon carefully. Here are a few links that were recently available:
 


Vital Choice wild salmon grow naturally in Alaskan waters, free of antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones and artificial coloring agents. These salmon are among the purest fish found anywhere. In fact, the Alaska Division of Public Health continues to strongly recommend that “pregnant women, women who are breast feeding, women of childbearing age, and young children continue unrestricted consumption of fish from Alaskan waters.”

Is it true that some farmed fish is dangerous to eat?

We’ll leave that up to you to decide. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, farmed salmon can be dangerous to eat: “In an attempt to control disease and parasites among farmed salmon, powerful antibiotics and other drugs are dumped directly into open net cages. Salmon aquaculture uses more antibiotic per pound of "livestock" than any other form of farming. This largely unregulated use of antibiotics—the same drugs used to treat human infections—has already led to the development of drug-resistant "super-bugs". This poses grave risks not only to the wider marine ecosystem, but also to fish farm workers and to consumers of farmed salmon who may be affected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To find out more visit Drugs.” For more information, visit the David Suzuki Foundation’s website at www.davidsuzuki.org.

Is it true that fish farming is bad for the environment?

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, salmon aquaculture can be bad for the environment: “Every day British Columbia's aquaculture industry dumps the same amount of raw sewage into the ocean as a city of half a million people. High concentrations of fish waste and drugs, along with drug-resistant microbes, pass through net cages to settle and destroy life on the ocean floor. Much of it drifts throughout the marine environment, contaminating shellfish beds and other habitats and spreads disease up the food chain. To find out more go to Ocean Pollution.” For more information, visit the David Suzuki Foundation’s website at www.davidsuzuki.org.

Is wild salmon an endangered species?

Alaska's wild salmon runs are among the healthiest on earth. Each year, tens of millions of Alaska salmon return to spawn in their natal rivers. Pristine habitat and well-managed commercial fisheries contribute to the preservation of Alaska’s most precious sustainable natural resource. In September 2000, Alaska salmon received the distinction of becoming the first U.S. fishery to be certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Vital Choice sells only sustainably harvested seafood products.

Why Vital Choice?

Vital Choice management has over 50 years of experience harvesting Alaskan salmon. We guarantee that you will receive the highest quality, most nutritious product available. Less than one percent of all Alaskan salmon produced meet Vital Choice quality standards, so you can be sure that your Vital Choice salmon represents the very pinnacle of purity, flavor and freshness.

  
     
     
 

Links:

  
   
 

 
   
   

 

  
     
  Looking for safe local Florida Fish?  But be cautious as you must still look at the lists of fish that should be avoided because they are higher in mercury when deciding which fish to eat.  
     
 

I'll add more information here and some additional links so that you can continue the research on your own.  From what I've researched, it's clear that Wild Alaskan Salmon,
in particular from Vital Choice , is the right choice.

  
     
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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Delicious Organics, Inc, unless otherwise noted. Articles are synopsis of our opinions based upon research we've done on these issues and we retain copyright to all information and articles contained herein.  We've provided links for further research and encourage you to make your own opinions based upon the information we provide as well as any information you find contrary to our opinion.  We see this site as an easy summary of the many issues we research and a good starting point for you to use.  We encourage each of us to continue researching and learning more about how we can live a better and healthier life in a cleaner and stronger world.  We DO it for ourselves, our children, our environment and our future.