When you hear the term farm-raised fish do you picture a cowboy in waders swinging a big fish net instead of a lasso? Or have you never given the source of your fish fillet a second thought? What’s the difference between wild fish and farm raised fish anyway? A fish is a fish, right? Because aquafarming is a huge industry, it probably has an impact on your family’s health. But what exactly is farmed-raised fish?
Why Farm Fish?
We’re eating more fish! According to all the health experts, that’s a good thing. But it’s not like we’re all going out to the lake and sticking in a pole. Sure, in your perfect world you might want to catch fish fresh from the sea and fry it up before sundown. You might want to kill your own chickens that you raised in the backyard too, but that’s not the world most of us live in. We need to feed our families quickly and conveniently, while still putting a healthy meal on the table. That’s where farm-raised fish comes in.
Cultivating fish in natural or controlled marine or freshwater environments is simply the most efficient way to get high quality seafood to the market for the lowest possible price. Plus, it reduces the harmful effects of over fishing and allows for control over exposure to toxins such as mercury.
To meet consumer demand for seafood, the aquaculture industry, or fish farming, has exploded in recent years and it continues to do so. Farm-raised fish is expected to make up over half of the world’s supply of seafood by 2013. Tilapia in particular has grown in popularity, with people buying and eating this tasty fish four times as much today as they did just six years ago. And unless you’re out there fishing for it yourself, most of the tilapia you’re going to find is farm-raised.
But is Farm-Raised Fish Safe?
There are a lot of scary stories out there about farmed fish not being as healthy, or even as safe to eat as wild fish. The truth is that the safety of farmed fish depends on who’s farming it. Highly reputable fish farmers, such as Regal Springs, adhere to strict standards to provide you with the freshest and healthiest fish you can buy. As the world’s top producer of tilapia, they have created standards to ensure the quality of fish and the sustainability of the industry.
- Aqua farms should be operated in fresh, clean, moving water, not in ponds. This guards against high levels of pollutants affecting the fish.
- Aqua farmers should control exactly what fish eat (and this must be the highest quality fish food) because this affects the taste of the fish.
- Fish farmers should be HACCP certified by the Food and Drug Administration for seafood safety.
- Mercury levels are controlled through aquaculture.
- The very best farmed fish is not subject to preservatives, antibiotics, or growth hormones.
- For the highest quality fish, look for aqua farms that owns and manage the entire aquafarming process, which ensures accountability and traceability.
Not all aquafarms follow such stringent standards. Chinese fish farms have come under fire for feeding fish substandard ingredients. Remember the pet food scare where toxic Melamine was found in your pet’s favorite food? How would you like that ingredient showing up in your food? That’s exactly what can happen when farm-raised fish is not properly regulated. Check the back of the bag and make sure your fish comes from a quality supplier like Regal Springs.
Photo Credit: hellsgeriatric, Flickr
Tags: Aquaculture, aquafarming, farm raised Tilapia, farm-raised fish
