Aqua-who? Farming fish
A comparison of common aquaculture methods to farm fish
Across industries, an increasing number of consumers attach greater importance to environmental and ethical implications of animal products. One prime example is the consumer demand for free-range eggs. Improved product packaging and governmental regulations made it possible for people to make better choices and according to a global marketing study, the demand is increasingly driven by animal welfare concerns.
Nonetheless, this progress is apparently supported by the belief of consumers that “happy” animals produce better food — which is ultimately linked to food safety and quality.
But what about the aquaculture industry? Is it possible to identify more sustainable options and prefer one aquaculture method over the other?
In general, it is important to mention that intensive fish farming is relatively new compared to other animal factory farming methods. According to FAO, communicating the implications of aquaculture production methods needs increased media coverage and education as there are numerous misconceptions about aquaculture resulting from its complexity and variety. There is also evidence that the increase in mandatory and voluntary product labels has resulted in an “information overload”. Thus, additionally confusing consumers in their decision making. For this reason, researchers suggest establishing a simple and recognizable mark that will make it easy for buyers to judge a product based on its production method and its resulting impact on the environment, animal welfare etc.
This brings us back to the egg example! “The EU uses a defined egg code that consists of a number that indicates the method of production, a two-letter code for the country of origin and a registration number for the hen laying establishment.”
But until policy makers will figure something similar out for seafood, we will try to explain to you the main differences between common aquaculture methods and accelerate your understanding of fish farming.
In our previous article we have already explained the term aquaculture and the different species that are cultivated globally. Now we want to analyze commonly applied farming methods and shed a light on the advantages and disadvantages of each of those.
First of all, it is important to point out that the cultivation of different kinds of species requires either salt- or freshwater and is done in an extensive or intensive manner. Each of those methods has advantages and disadvantages and the decision to choose one option over the other is strongly influenced by the geographical location, the species to be cultivated and its economical value, particularly in terms of profitability.
As of today, it seems that the most sustainable fish is the one that is cultivated in extensive farming operations close to the consumer. These fish can often be grown without the use of external feeding supplements, which eradicate the unsustainable usage of fish meal/oil — one of the major issues in aquaculture. However, these are often not available in grocery stores and might need to be purchased at a local fish farmer. Additionally, extensive cultivation has low production volumes — certainly not enough to feed the world — and due to the limited offer this results in higher prices for the consumer —prices not everybody is able or willing to pay.
Therefore, it is crucial to develop a new, sustainable way of fish farming that combines the economic and the ecological value of fish farming.
In this regard, RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems) are the most promising aquaculture technologies. You will read more about this approach in our next article! Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading this article and joining our vision towards a more sustainable future.
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