Go Wild: reasons to not eat farmed fish

9/9/2017

An evening summer breeze blew off the sea, making the strands of seaweed stuck to the net from last years salmon season wave back at my uncle as he scanned the horizon at the fleet of boats behind him.

This small marine army off the coast of Alaska's Aleutian Chain were eagerly anticipating a radio broadcast announcing the opening of the commercial salmon season.

It was an early morning, 4:30am, but the sun was just coming up illuminating a beautiful pink glow across the sky.

There was a buzz around the boat of the crew's nervous excitement to set the first net and start making the massive amounts of money that had driven them to leave the comfort of their homes in "civilization" to embark an an Alaskan adventure.

The Chignik salmon seiner fleet during a summer evening, photo taken around midnight. PC: Rodney Anderson

They knew this was just the beginning of the first long day in an even longer summer surrounded by the same other two crew members and a demanding captain, all whom would desperately start needing showers after four or five consecutive 16 hour work days.

What makes us Alaskan

For many Alaskans, fishing is a center-point of the summer. Whether it’s recreational, commercial, running a charter, or for subsistence, the majority of folks get out on the water at some point to try their luck.

My childhood was spent either in the island town of Kodiak or the remote fishing village of Chignik Lagoon. You see, my dad and his side of the family grew up on Kodiak Island and he met my mom when he ventured off "the rock" one summer to fish in Chignik, where my mom and her side of the family lived.

At about 33% Aleut, a type of Alaskan Native indigenous to the southwest Alaska, my uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, parents, and siblings have all cleaned hundreds to thousands of fish during their lifetimes.

In fact, the ability to clean fish well is one of the unspoken criteria my mom checks off on boyfriend approval for yours truly.

Meanwhile, me over here has never cleaned a fish and to be perfectly honest, it gives me the heebie jeebies. Even prepping fish that has already been filleted makes my tummy turn a bit.

I know, it’s ridiculous, especially if you are a Native Alaskan reading this, but don’t judge me! I have strengths in cleaning other things like barbells and dishes.

Some "hauls" bring in more fish than others. Here my Uncle Rodney's salmon seiner is fully loaded with fish, thus why the deck is so low to the water. PC: Rodney Anderson

My cousin Rhonda's husband, Jim, busy at work cleaning fish. The orange sleeves and pants he is wearing are a fisherman's best friend, rain gear. PC: Rhonda Hubbard

It's common to take kids out on the boat so they can learn important values like hard work and where their food comes from. PC: Rhonda Hubbard

REasons to eat wild instead of farmed

Hopefully, you are not as ridiculous as I am when it comes to cleaning and cooking fish, as it has the highest omega-3 content of any food.

Salmon in particular contains more than 4,000mg per serving as well as large amounts of magnesium, potassium, selenium, and B-vitamins.

Magnesium plays an essential role in immune function, nerve and bone health. Potassium is vital for optimal heart and digestive function. Selenium produces antioxidant enzymes, which maintain your cell health. And finally, B-vitamins provide the oil to our engine, aka the energy we need to function efficiently!

Now, if you are convinced that salmon is a food that you should be eating quite often for optimal health, here's an important tip on what to look for at the supermarket or a restaurant – buy Pacific, not Atlantic.

Why? Less than 1% of Atlantic salmon are wild. There are two pretty substantial upsides to buying Atlantic salmon, the first being that it is cheaper, the second being that it has increased the availability of salmon on the market so that it's easier to get and will sustain the demand as it increases.

However, we can only medal with the natural cycle of things so much without there being negative consequences.

Farm to table movement

If you have the means to buy wild salmon, it is the best choice for everyone. Understandably, if buying more expensive fish is not in your budget, eating a farmed salmon is better than not incorporating fish into your diet at all.

Environment: Farming a fish is not natural

Fish farms create an unnaturally large amount of sea lice. These little ectoparasites eat the exterior of a salmon they are attached to and can cause serious damage in larger numbers, ultimately killing the fish they feed off of.

Predatory marine animals like seals and sea lions are instinctually attracted to the salmon pens, but a threat to the stock. Untold numbers are shot to protect the fish or die from becoming ensnared in the net.
If the salmon pen breaks, as did a major one a few weeks back in B.C., there are substantial repercussions. According to the director of the Wild Fish Conservancy Northwest, "The Atlantic salmon bring with them pollution, virus and parasite amplification, and all that harms Pacific salmon and our waters."

Economy & Community: Fishermen are not fans

If we snap shot the largest salmon farming sector in the Northwest, British Columbia, in 2005 salmon farming contributed $134 million to provincial GDP, and wild commercial and sport fishing provided $183 million to provincial GDP.
Wild salmon marine industry jobs significantly outweigh those in the aquaculture (salmon farming) industry, 1,500 vs. 3,880, respectively.
In combination, if farmed salmon were to affect the wild salmon population as environmental experts and activists worry about, it will negatively impact far more people than if the opposite were true.

Nutrition: Wild salmon are superior

Wild salmon contain 8x the amount of Vitamin D and 3x the amount of Vitamin A per 100g serving than farmed salmon.
Fat content in farmed salmon is higher, which directly increases the PCB (a cancer causing chemical) levels as well.

Whether you're a sushi or seafood lover, inquire about your next salmon purchase. Feel free to comment questions, experiences, or concerns!

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References

Environmental Impacts. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2017, from http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/salmon-farming-problems/environmental-impacts/

Flatt, C. (2017, August 29). Why Are Atlantic Salmon Being Farmed In The Northwest?
Retrieved September 13, 2017, from http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/29/546803147/why-are-atlantic-salmon-being-farmed-in-the-northwest

Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, May 2007. Final Report, P.1.

Foran, J.A. D.H. Good, D.O. Carpenter, MC Hamilton, BA Knuth, and S.J. Schwager. (2005). Quantitative Analysis of the Benefits and Risks of Consuming Farmed and Wild Salmon. Journal of Nutrition. 135:2639-2643.

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