It's Time to Unite to Stop the Disinformation Movement About Farmed Salmon

SEAFOOD.COM ^ | Feb 14, 2003 | David Rideout

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

(Ottawa, Ontario Canada—) The Executive Director of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), David Rideout, has issued the following statement in response to the misinformation campaign launched against salmon farmers by environmental groups based in BC and elsewhere.

Over the past several months, anti-salmon farming groups have launched a campaign to convince U.S. consumers to stop buying farmed salmon, suggesting instead that they 'go wild'—by purchasing wild-caught fish. Just recently, a B.C.-based group known as the Forest Action Network (FAN) jumped on the bandwagon of the noisy and disruptive voices that oppose salmon farming in British Columbia and elsewhere.

In addition to illegally interfering with the operations of one of British Columbia's largest private-sector employers—a company engaged in the production of salmon and the creation of economic prosperity in a depressed region—FAN members camped out on the doorsteps of a few North American supermarkets, and threatened action against others for carrying farmed salmon. The picture that has begun to emerge from these protests is that FAN and other Environmental Non-government Organizations (ENGOs), having failed to gain traction with consumers by playing the environmental card, have changed their strategy—focusing instead on food safety.

What should concern everyone in the business of growing fish and shellfish is the extent to which the misinformation campaign against farmed salmon has been covered by the mass media—without questioning any of the information sources or 'research.' What is also of great concern to us is the extent to which many ENGOs have attempted to create a division between farmed and wild salmon by disseminating propaganda that tells consumers to 'go wild' and choose wild ('pure') over farmed ('impure').

Whatever the origin of this campaign, it is a dangerous message for the seafood industry to disseminate or to allow to remain unchallenged. Research shows us that consumers, faced with such negative messages about salmon, will likely turn away from the seafood counter and march straight to the meat counter. What both wild and farm operators alike need is for consumers to move from meat directly to the fish counter. This is impossible in the current environment; sadly, both wild and farmed industries lose.

It is time for all of us who grow, catch, process, and market seafood—all seafood—to stop trashing one another and unite to bring the good news about our products to consumers. Creating uncertainty and confusion about one industry sector (in this case, farmed salmon) to promote another (wild salmon), whether intentionally caused or passively allowed to happen, does a great disservice to the consumer.

Using misleading 'research' studies such as Michael Easton's consultant study of PCBs and dioxins in a statistically unsupportable sample of just eight fish is even more irresponsible, because it not only affects the consumer but also serves to distract everyone from the task at hand: Making our industry practices and procedures the best that they can be, so that those of us who grow seafood—finfish and shellfish—can continue to bring wholesome, safe, and nutritious food to a hungry world.

Most of us in the world of salmon farming share a basic reality with our wild fishing industry counterparts. And that is, every careless action, including fish escapes, poor husbandry, over-fishing, poor handling practices at sea, or careless farm/vessel management, detracts from the covenant of trust that we have built up with those who buy our product. For this reason, every careless action by farmers and wild fishers alike needs to be dealt with quickly and effectively.

That is why we work closely with government agencies and our own trade associations—to ensure that our policy and regulatory frameworks are world-class, and that they offer an effective deterrent to bad practices.

We are grateful to have learned the lessons we have learned from the wild fishers, coastal communities, and the environmental movement and we are pleased that most in the salmon aquaculture business today, from nearly every salmon farming company and country have adopted 'best practices' in a variety of areas—practices that forward the cause of environmental stewardship, stringent food safety standards, fair labor standards, and community involvement and economic development. The same company that was attacked by FAN for building a hatchery provides jobs today for workers who were previously idled by a depressed forestry industry in British Columbia. This same story of positive community benefit, stewardship, and better-than-HACCP standards for food production is replicated in the key salmon farming regions of the world.

We are truly an industry that has contributed in untold ways to making our communities a better place and contributing to the overall success of 'water-to-table businesses' that carry our salmon. But we stand at a crossroads today. That untold story needs to be told. We must take a stand against the 'voodoo science' that has been picked up without question by many in the mass media, and passed as credible news. It is time for us to work together—farmed and wild—to spread the good word about the benefits that farmed and wild salmon alike possess in great abundance. To quote from Dr. Charles Santerre, an associate professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University in Indiana, and an expert with the International Food Information Council, in a recent press advisory:

'Salmon is an ideal source for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for brain development in babies and cardiovascular health in adults…The safest seafoods are farmed and wild salmon….[which] can be eaten more than once a week.'

This is the story that needs to be told. We in the Canadian industry, along with our counterparts in Chile and the United States, are committed to getting it told. We hope our wild fishing industry colleagues will join us in spreading the good news—and the truth.

[jim_trent]

You're right. For example, I always prefer wild cows to farmed ones, myself. ;-)

The alternative to farming (including fish) is extinction of the species or outlawing eating them. I always wonder about people who protest without offering a valid alternative.

[expatpat]

Why are they against farmed fish? I would have thought that they would approve of the reduced stress on wild fish. I must be missing some convoluted thinking.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I've recently eaten wild salmon caught in upstate New York.

The fish is a gray color and tastes ok.

However, farm-raised salmon has a much better flavor.

[Willie Green]

I would have thought that they would approve of the reduced stress on wild fish.

That's precisely the point.
If the wild fish aren't endangered, the eco-nuts lose political power.
It's just like the liberal poverty pimps who oppress their own dumbed-down constituency.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

bump

[Cicero]

The farmed fish is excellent. We've been eating Duck Trap Salmon (and smoked trout) for many years. Very good.

Here's Duck Trap Harbor, Maine, the neighborhood it comes from:

I think you can buy their stuff on line if you run a search for it.

[Nov3]

'Salmon is an ideal source for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for brain development in babies and cardiovascular health in adults…The safest seafoods are farmed and wild salmon….[which] can be eaten more than once a week.'

I believe grain fed farmed fish don't have hardly any omega-3's. Their wild brethern that feed in the cold waters have high levels.

The farmed fish has a lot more fat and tastes better though.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Farmed Salmon

You know, with our current world situation, I swear I first read this as a Middle Eastern name, i.e. FAR'med SAL'mon (4 syllables). Kinda funny to discover that the article was about fish, not some convenience store clerk. :-)

[TheMole]

The fish farms are in competition with the fishermen. Never forget that fact when you are listening to any of this propaganda. If it's propaganda emanating from the Canadian west coast, don't forget that about 40% of the commercial fishermen there are native Indians. Any allegations of fish farms fouling the environment of native bands should be evaluated with these facts in mind.

You know, egg farms and vegetable farms and rice farms all produce food of varying quality. Some people are willing to pay a premium for quality, while others aren't. It's no different with fish farms.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

I ain't no salmon connosieur. But the missus knows a bit about salmon. The wild salmon eats wild stuff. Hence, it eats all the stuff God wanted them to eat. As a result it has all the omega-3 benefits and it generally better for you. The farmed salmon is fed grain. That's why it gets so fat. It's on a high carb diet.

The same thing can be said for free range yard bird and the poor things you buy at the grocery store. The store bought is okay, but the free range bird eats grasshoppers and worms and generally has the stuff God intended. Similar with grass fed beef. Much better for you.

[expatpat]

Thanks for the enlightenment.

[js1138]

[farmfriend]

ping

[Servant of the Nine]

Part of the answer is for Western Salmon Farmers, whether in Canada or Chile on in between, to raise Atlantic Salmon. If there are escapes, they can't interbreed with the wild fish and possible do any harm. Besides Atlantic salmon has more flavor.

So9

[goodnesswins]

We eat salmon at least once a week. Once you have Copper River Salmon.....nothing is the same. Farmed salmon is OK, but wild tastes better to us. And, I believe is better for us, also, as others have noted.

[Nov3]

I if given a choice will eat the wild version of all the foods you mentioned with the exception of the beef. That grass fed stuff just does not stand up to heavy corn fed aged beef. Yum yum.

You on a low carb diet?

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

One problem with the salmon farms is that they're a concentrated point source of polution from the thousands of salmon crapping in one place. Makes sense, but that's something that can probably be managed as we get smarter about the process and pitfalls. We're yet in the early decades of factory fish farming.

Meanwhile, there's no doubt about it: wild tastes better and is more nutritious in terms of omega-3. It tends to be a richer color, too. But it needs to be cooked a little differently, since it's less fatty.

[Carry_Okie]

Meanwhile, there's no doubt about it: wild tastes better and is more nutritious in terms of omega-3.

Not for long. You want salmon with omega-3? The market is going to give it to you. It's already been found that putting flax seed oil in the feed mix increases the omega-3.

It tends to be a richer color, too.

That's already been addressed for the most part. I don't like how they did it, but if color matters, it's no problem.

But it needs to be cooked a little differently, since it's less fatty.

Same story. BTW, the aging control and the portion control are superior with farmed fish. There is also a lot of mishandling of wild caught fish causing bruised meat.

I would like to see them develop deep-ocean fish farm technology. The open ocean lacks nutrient. Farming there would make the entire region around the farm more productive. It might also be easier to contain genetically altered alleles to prevent cross breeding wild stocks. A deep ocean farm is one heck of an engineering problem, but like anything else, problems are opportunities too.