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by Krista Wermerskirchen Photo By Asc1733 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 To eat more fish, or to abstain. That is an important question to consider when looking into the alternatives for our depleting oceans. Fish are a widely consumed source of protein for most of the growing world population. They can provide us with a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are useful in protecting our bodies from affluent diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, brain health, diabetes and autoimmune diseases (WellnessMama). We’ve been consuming fish since the beginning of time, so what’s the problem? We simply cannot rely on the same methods as were once used to feed the population. The alternative methods that we have to obtain fish meat may not be as sustainable as we think and it’s time to explore the various reasons why we should not be fish farming. There are two main practices in which fish are farmed in not only the United States but also around the world. The first is known as aquaponics and this is where fish are kept in holding ponds for the duration of their lives. The second is very similar, however the fish are contained in large nets in the oceans until they also meet market weight. Because there’s such a huge demand for fish consumption, there are millions of fish farmed each year (Checkout part 6). Humans had to look to an alternative solution to meet the demand for fish which led to the practice of aquaculture. While there are many ongoing debates pertaining to the sustainability of this fish farming practice, it is important to note what life is like for the fish living in the ponds or nets. To start, pens can hold as many as 500,000 upwards to 750,000 salmon on average which is approximately the size of four football fields together (Longo, 2015 p. 127). This mass amount of fish in one area can increase the mortality rate, diseases, and decreased the overall sanitation of these environments. With that amount of fish, if several die, how will they be removed from the population in a timely manner if at all? In order to keep disease rates and stress levels of the fish down, antibiotics and other chemicals are given to the fish to consume to keep them ‘healthier’ and more calm. “Stress may be compounded by other inappropriate management practices, in which aeration and water flow are insufficient, overfeeding occurs, and hygiene declines below the threshold at which disease is more likely to ensue. It may need only one individual to act as a reservoir of infection to the rest of the stock. Unsatisfactory occurrences, which are readily controlled, include: • The accumulation of organic matter, namely fecal material and uneaten fish food, within the fish-holding facilities; • The presence of dead fish for prolonged periods (bad sanitation); • The accumulation of a biofouling community, i.e. algae and slime, in the fish tanks; • The depletion of the oxygen content of the water with a concomitant increase in Nitrogen levels, especially as ammonium salts; • The lack of proper disinfection for items entering the fish-holding facilities” (Some other useful information). Millions of other aquatic life are affected by nets in the oceans because they can get dragged into the nets. This can include dolphins, turtles, and other non-targeted aquatic animals who are dragged through these ocean nets. The fish undergo excruciating painful decompression, ocean pressure changes that can rupture their swim bladders and pop out their eyes. These captured fish and other aquatic life are tossed onboard the ship and either wait to slowly suffocate, be crushed by other sea life or be hacked alive. The common killing methods for fish are death by slow suffocation, as mentioned, or being skinned alive (Farm2Fridge). Fish feel pain. A research team from Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh injected bee venom into trout’s lips to see what their response may be, if any. The researchers recorded the trout’s response as rubbing their lips against the bottom of the tank in the gravel, which was noted as a clear indicator that this was a response to the bee venom and not a reflex. Their gills beat faster and the trout experienced delay response time for simple problems as well as a considerable amount of time passing before resuming eating (Fish and Pain). This study shows that fish are more cognitive than previously thought and that they truly feel discomfort. As ectotherms, fish also rely on their external environment to regulate their temperature. This makes them different than humans who can maintain homeostasis by having an internal regulatory system to keep us well and healthy. In artificial environments such as fish farms, their water temperature may not meet the specific parameters that their bodies need to thrive or give them sufficient space to move around. “Principally, in the industrialized nations farmed fish are subjected to questionable water quality and high stocking regimes. These are among the known prerequisites for the onset of disease cycles” (Austin, 2007 p. 337). Photo by Fiona Chin These living conditions will be further discussed. Some researchers have even suggested that fish have the ability to respond to emotions in a similar manner to humans. Just like humans, a fish has an amygdala. When there is damage to the amygdala, the fish lose their sense of fear just as people do with lesions in their amygdala (Fish Brains). It is possible for them to survive, however quality of life may be further compromised, again, similarly to a human with a brain damage. Diet has a very clear impact on the environment. When there is a higher demand for any type of animal products, there is an added environmental cost associated with it. With the use of antibiotics and in general having large scale animal farms such as those used for fish, cows, pigs, and chickens, there can be grave consequences on the environment. “It should be emphasized, however, that there is a dearth of information, which suggests that disease may be transferred from farmed to wild fish stocks” (Disease and Parasite Transfer). There is a lot of waste product in the water that is used to raise fish on these farms- water that needs to be changed periodically that ends up in another ecosystem which can wreak havoc on wild populations’ ability to reproduce, survive, and live out their natural lives. Because fish farming is still in its infancy in the grand scheme of things, only time will tell what kind of impacts will result for the health of the environment, humans, and fish. So this leaves us with what can you do? Be an informed consumer and do some baseline research, know that one in five fish purchased came from a fish farm. Cut back the amount of animal products you are consuming or give them up altogether! There are great resources all over the internet and awesome meatless/fishless recipes that are simple, delicious, and filling. Best part, the environment won’t degrade to the same extent as having a higher demand for fish in our diets and fish get to live. eferences Austin, Brian and Austin, Dawn A. (2007). Bacterial Fish Pathogens: Diseases of Farmed and Wild Fish. Springer Netherlands Ellingsen, Kristian, Grimsrud, Kristine, Nielsen, Hanne Marie, Mejdell, Cecilie, Olesen, Ingrid, Honkanen, Pirjo, Navrud, Ståle, Gamborg, Christian, Sandøe, Peter. (2015). “Who cares about Fish Welfar?: A Norwegian Study” British Food Journal 2015 117:1 , 257-273. Fry, Jillian P., Love, David C., Shukla, Arunima, & Lee, Ryan. M. (2014). Offshore Finfish Aquaculture in the United States: An Examination of Federal Laws That Could be Used to Address Environmental and Occupational Public Health Risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(11), 11964–11985. Longo, Stefano, Clausen, Rebecca, & Clark, Brett (2015). The tragedy of the commodity: Oceans, fisheries, and aquaculture. New Brunswick, New Jersey;London;: Rutgers University Press. Masson, Jeffrey. M. (2009). The Face on Your Plate: The Truth about Food. New York: W.W. Norton. Myskja, B. K. and Myhr, A. I. (2012). Changing an iconic species by biotechnology: the case of Norwegian salmon. Wageningen Academic Publishers section 11, 315-320. Syed Q. A. Shah, Duncan J. Colquhoun, Hamisi L. Nikuli, and Henning Sørum. (2012). Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Bacterial Flora of Integrated Fish Farming Environments of Pakistan and Tanzania. Environmental Science and Technology. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2761.2011.01333.x/abstract AUTHOR BIOKrista Wermerskirchen has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Sciences from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is currently pursuing a Geographic Information Systems Certificate at the University as well. Her passions revolve around justice- for the environment, for non-human animals, for people, and for the health and well-being of all living beings. Comments are closed.
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This is a website about nonhuman animals, written by human animals taking a Society and Animals class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archives
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