Six More Reasons to NOT Eat Farmed Salmon

Salmon raised on fish farms are also creating some serious environmental problems, six of which are summarized below. Environmental Risks of Fish Farms 1. Transmission of disease Just as with land-based CAFOs, high stocking densities can fuel a disease outbreak. Vaccines and antibiotics are used to control infections, through medicated baths and feed, but those methods of delivery also increase the chance that antibiotics will pass into the environment, affecting wildlife and other organisms. The use of antibiotics in aquaculture has resulted in a much larger problem: antibiotic resistance. 2. Sea lice One of the most significant threats facing wild salmon populations, a parasite called sea lice, spread rampantly in fish farms.15 Farm infestations significantly increase the number of lice in surrounding waters, infecting wild fish populations. Sea lice can infect very young salmon so that fewer make it out to sea or back to spawn. Combating sea lice requires the use of toxic pesticides, including emamectin benzoate (SLICE),16 which persists in the salmon's tissues and the environment for weeks to months. 3. Escapes and interspecies impacts The majority of salmon are raised in open pens and cages along the coast, where the fish are targeted by predators such as seals and sea birds, who attempt to get through the nets. As a result, many salmon flee from their enclosures. The escape of farmed salmon into the wild population poses a serious threat to indigenous wild salmon species, potentially outcompeting them for habitat and food, as well as spreading disease. 4. Salmon manure Densely confined salmon produce copious amounts of waste, laced with antibiotics and pesticides, and this excrement can build up under the pens, smothering portions of the ocean bottom, contaminating the marine ecosystem and depriving species of oxygen—like a litter box that never gets changed. Or, the bulk of the waste may be carried away from the farm site by ocean currents, ending up collecting in another place and causing localized pollution. 5. Endangerment of sea life Seals, sea lions, and birds become trapped and drown in salmon farm nets. 6. Algal blooms Algal blooms are the uncontrolled growth of one or more species of algae. Hundreds of thousands of salmon excreting in the confined area of a farm can cause a localized level of nutrient loading that may not be completely absorbed by the surrounding environment; hence, nutrient loading from salmon farms may be linked to algal blooms. Genetically Engineered Pseudo-Salmon As if the problems associated with farmed salmon aren't enough, genetically engineered (GE) salmon may soon be heading to a supermarket near you, if approved by FDA. AquaBounty Technologies Inc. has genetically engineered Atlantic salmon (known as AquAdvantage® salmon) to overexpress a growth-hormone gene, resulting in a fish that grows up to five times faster than normal. The company has been seeking FDA approval for its pseudo-salmon since 1995, which is now opposed by two million Americans, including hundreds of organizations, businesses, fishermen and a large segment of Congress. In March 2014, the FDA reported they are still deciding whether or not to approve the GE fish. If they do, it will be the first GE animal product to reach America's dinner plate. The environmental risks of such a biological nightmare are tremendous. In a Purdue University computer model that tracked the effects of releasing just 60 "Frankenfish" into a population of 60,000, there was a complete extinction of the normal fish in just 40 fish generations. In response to these concerns, several major groceries, including Kroger, Whole Foods, Safeway, Target and Trader Joe's, have committed to not selling GE seafood if it's allowed on the market. And Governor Jerry Brown just signed California law AB 504, which bans commercial production of any GE salmon in state waters. Clues for Spotting a Farm-Raised Salmon Unfortunately, salmon and other fish are often mislabeled—and if GE salmon is approved, it won't be labeled as such. Studies have shown that up to 80 percent of the fish marked as "wild" are actually farmed. This includes restaurants, where 90 to 95 percent of salmon is farmed, yet often listed on the menu as "wild." Given these inaccuracies, how can you tell whether a salmon really is wild or farmed? The flesh of the salmon will give you a clue. Wild sockeye salmon is bright red, courtesy of its natural astaxanthin content. Sockeye salmon actually has one of the highest concentrations of natural astaxanthin of any food. Wild salmon is also very lean, so the fat marks—those white stripes you see in the meat—are quite thin. If a fish is pale pink with wide fat marks, the salmon is likely farmed. Avoid Atlantic salmon, as salmon bearing this label are almost always farmed. The two designations you want to look for are: "Alaskan salmon" (or wild Alaskan salmon) and "sockeye salmon." Alaskan sockeye are not allowed to be farmed. Canned salmon labeled "Alaskan salmon" is a good bet, and if you find sockeye, it too is assured to be wild. My favorite brand is Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics, which offers a nice variety of high-quality salmon products that test high for omega-3 fats and low for contaminants. Krill Oil, Another Excellent Source of Omega-3 Fats Consuming wild Alaskan salmon is an excellent way to boost your omega-3 level, but there is another option if you're concerned you're not getting enough. You can add a krill oil supplement. Krill oil is extracted from tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill that live in the pristine waters of Antarctica. Krill feed on plankton floating near the ocean's surface. The special properties of the EPA and DHA in krill oil make it 48 times more potent than fish oil. Krill is highly sustainable because of its enormous biomass, between 170 million to 740 million tons. We are harvesting only about two percent of the precautionary catch limit of 6.6 million tons, set in 2008. We could increase this harvest 50-fold and still be within safe limits. Unlike fish, krill does not accumulate heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins and other contaminants because it's at the bottom of the food chain. Between wild Alaskan salmon, krill oil, and grass pastured meats and dairy, your omega-3 to omega-6 fat ratio should be much more balanced and appropriate for optimal health.