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 By Chef Bryan Szeliga, October 2011
I believe one of the largest misconceptions in sustainable seafood revolves around fish farming. In many cases, farm raised seafood is a large part of the equation for sustainable seafood. Ideally, there should be plenty of wild fish in the sea to thrive, allowing humans to consume for sustenance.
 Over 14,000 years ago humans lived in hunter-gatherer communities. Their nourishment came from seasonal migratory patterns. At that time humans followed the food sources.
Around 8000 B.C. the Fertile Crescent gave birth to agriculture. Agriculture changed what and how humans ate. Agriculture led the way to the domestication of rice, squash, and corn followed by goats, pigs, and cows, which in turn gave birth to animal husbandry (the practice of breeding and raising livestock).
During the rise of agriculture over the past 10,000 years, humans continued to hunt (fish) for wild stocks of seafood.
Aquaculture, which is farming that involves cultivating fish, seaweed, crustaceans, and mollusks in freshwater and saltwater under controlled conditions, is believed to have begun about 8,000 years ago in China. Records show that ancient Egypt had fish ponds. To this day the majority of seafood consumed is from wild sources, which is contradictory to the rest of our agriculture-based diets.
Wild mushrooms, like truffles and chanterelles which cannot be cultivated, along with seafood continue to be the only food sources consumed on a large scale worldwide that are not produced through agriculture.
The truth is that some fin fish lend themselves to animal husbandry by way of aquaculture. A few of these specific fin fish would be tilapia, trout, catfish, and barramundi. To a further extent I would argue that some salmon would even fall into this category. The reason is farm-raised salmon will eat 3 pounds of fish to yield one pound of meat. However, I believe it is very important to note that a wild salmon will eat 10 pounds of fish to yield one pound of meat.
Kokanee is a land locked sockeye salmon; it thrives in fresh water eating mainly a vegetarian diet of phytoplankton and insects that are very low on the food chain. I am eagerly waiting to see Kokanee make their way into modern aquaculture!
I want to be very clear; all farm raised fish are not created equal in the same way that all beef is not created equal. The beef produced by large corporations on feedlots in Kansas is much different than the beef created by Carman Ranch in Eastern Oregon. The farm-raised salmon from Chile is very different from the farm raised salmon created by Loch Duart in Scotland. Loch Duart farm raised Atlantic salmon is a very responsible source of salmon. The work Loch Duart and Clean Fish (the distributor domestically) are doing promotes responsible fish farming.
Farm raised mussels, clams, cockles, and oysters are very critical in creating clean waterways and sustainable fisheries. For example, one oyster can filter 50 gallons of water per day!
Whether at home or in a restaurant, ordering appetizers and entrees that contain any of these farm raised seafood is always a good choice.
Fishmonger Question: Where is the fish farmed and how is it farmed?
Recipe: Smoked Trout and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Trufle Brown Butter Sauce
Fact: A catfish farm can yield six thousand pounds of meat per acre; about twenty times more then beef can yield on that same acre. (Pg. 13 Farming The Waters)
Cool Links:
 Australis Aquaculture - a company forging a market for responsible farm raised fish. Barramundi (aka Asian sea bass) are native to Australia but have found their way to an environmentally responsible closed tank system that yields a conversion ratio of nearly 1:1 meaning one pound of protein yields one pound of meat!
Video: “Understanding Sustainable Seafood” produced by Australis Aquaculture. This video gives an excellent overview of sustainable seafood questions. I highly recommend you take the time to view it.
Recipe: Smoked Trout and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Trufle Brown Butter Sauce
Sources:
Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. The state of World Fisheries & Aquaculture (SOFIA)
Farming The Waters by Peter R. Limburg, Published by Beaufort Books Inc, NYC 1980
Josh Goldman CEO Australis Aquaculture
Sustainable Seafood 101 by Chef Bryan Szeliga
Sustainable Seafood is My Passion
5 Things to Ask When Selecting Seafood
Top 10 Fish Eaten by Americans
Is Frozen Fish Better Than Fresh Fish?
Why Buy Sustainable Domestic Seafood?
Shrimp: No Small Topic
Chef Bryan Szeliga, an avid fly fisherman and salmon conservationist is currently devoting his time and energy to promote a better understanding of sustainable seafood. His website is www.bryanszeliga.com.
We, here at CHEFnews.com welcome your comments on this article and your thoughts/questions about sustainable seafood.
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