Aquaculture is banned in Alaska鈥� The Federal Government encourages off-shore aquaculture鈥� Gulf shrimp producers lobby successfully to effectively ban imported farmed shrimp from certain Asian countries on the grounds that these imports are a form of dumping… Legislation allowing certification of Tilapia as organic is delayed by successful lobbying from Alaska intent on having wild caught fish included as 鈥渙rganic.鈥�

Our government is undoubtedly involved in aquaculture and it is clear that the government can be lobbied to allow or deny industries depending on the interests involved.聽 What should be the role of government in relation to aquaculture?

The FDA administers regulations to keep our food safe for consumption, and food processors are held to HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) standards developed by the FDA. Foreign processors (such as HQ Sustainable) can opt to have USDC inspections of their processing facilities for further health and safety assurance.

Listed among the FDA standards are a series of minimum residue standards designed to protect consumers from abusive aquaculture practices involving the excessive use of banned substances. Each shipment of frozen product destined for the United States must show proof of this certification. Spot checks upon landing further supplement the inspection process. FDA inspectors are also present in many major countries with frequent exports to the U.S., including China. They are there to assure that products are not exported until they meet these rigorous standards.

Unlike the federal government, Alaska has such a negative perception of aquaculture that they have made it illegal in their state.聽 The result is essentially the banning of farming one animal species, which is an odd thing for a government to do. Setting rules for responsible farming would seem to be a better, more rational approach. Ultimately, environmental rules and the aforementioned chemical residue tests go a long way in assuring responsible aquaculture practices.

In China, the government goes one step further in developing HACCP style standards for aquaculture operators hoping to target export markets. Consequently, the standards for responsible aquaculture, involving feed selection, stocking levels, water quality, harvest procedures, waste water handling, and processing procedures can be enforced before the safety of the product even comes into question.

Ocean harvests are limited by fishing quotas and other regulations targeting sustainability, where farming operations are not.

The government must endorse a clearer vision of what constitutes responsible aquaculture practices.聽 This would, in my opinion, broaden public acceptance of the 鈥渇arming of fish鈥� and relieve pressures on our oceans for generations to come allowing both to flourish.

Food for thought.

NGOs are non-government organizations that see themselves as supporting a certain cause financed by those who share their objectives. Many NGOs are focused on the environment and sustainability. All of them are focused on aligning their mission with the raising of funds to continue their operations.聽 Many NGOs have agendas that promote one good cause, such as the conservation of our oceans, at the expense of another, such as promotion of aquaculture operations.聽

The mission of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is to preserve wildlife, not necessarily to promote farming over other methods of food production. Nevertheless, the WWF has initiated a series of dialogues focuses on aquaculture.聽 While this focus solely on the environmental impact of aquaculture, and not the important questions of food availability and safety, this is a very important step.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) does have a mandate with larger considerations than supporting popular causes and generating donations.聽 The FAO is intent on finding ways to safely feed the planet. They are promoting aquaculture:

• to alleviate poverty (aquaculture as a business),
• to feed native populations (aquaculture as a source of food),
• to reduce pressures on our oceans (aquaculture as a means to environmental wellbeing)

A recent major publication by the FAO entitled 鈥淐ommercial Aquaculture and economic growth, poverty alleviation and food security,鈥� outlines how responsible aquaculture can not only help alleviate pressures on our oceans, but also assuage poverty in developing countries.

In spite of a great deal of laudable work done by NGOs, their motivation is best understood by understanding their limited missions and their sources of funding. This is the only way to really understand how so many of these organizations miss important opportunities to promote what is evident 鈥� that聽 responsible farming of fish is as important as all other types of farming.

Food for thought.

Consumers of seafood are frequently asking 鈥渋s this wild caught fish?鈥� before choosing their meals. For some reason, we have a romanticized view of ocean caught fish, and consequently, we place a premium on this type of seafood.聽 Yet the desire for ocean caught fish over farm-raised fish is unfounded.聽 When we reflect upon our other food choices, no other quality proteins are chosen based on this preference. We choose farmed chicken, beef, pork or lamb, but we want hunter-gathered fish, which is irrational.

Most of our planet is covered in water, which unintentionally serves as the burial ground for a great deal of our waste, including ten percent of the plastics we throw out.聽 Furthermore, wastes and pollution can suddenly increase due to unanticipated disasters such as the current Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Our oceans are currently responsible for feeding millions of people and our traditions are historically linked to ocean harvests. Unfortunately, these two uses of our oceans 鈥� as sources of food and waste disposal grounds 鈥� are increasingly in conflict. Pollution and over-fishing are affecting the quality and safety of our seafood.

Aquaculture provides approximately half of our total seafood supply today. As demand increases, this figure is growing exponentially.聽 Conversely, ocean-based production has peaked for some time at less than 100 million metric tons.

One of the major benefits of farm-raised fish is that farmers control what they feed their animals.聽 This affects how these animals are raised, and also means that the farmers have complete control over the supply and demand of their product.聽 Farming is, by definition, sustainable.

In addition to sustainability, farming offers advantages such as gainful employment for developing countries and the introduction of healthier fish products into the market through the addition of algae based omega 3, vitamin E, and other supplements. The same way we add vitamins A and D to milk, farmed fish can also be a medium to which we add vitamins for a healthier food product.

Third party audits of aquaculture practices and informed consumers can help feed our populations safely while conserving the ocean as a resource. Instead of asking 鈥渋s this wild caught fish?鈥� we should be asking 鈥渋s that quality certified farmed fish?鈥� when ordering seafood.

Food for thought.

Without aquaculture, half of our seafood supply would not exist, and the remaining seafood we鈥檇 eat would quickly be in short supply.

聽

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, on the Fisheries & Aquaculture webpage states that 鈥�aquaculture currently represents the fastest growing segment of agriculture and the animal feed milling industry, particularly in China and the Asian region where over 90% of global aquaculture production is currently realized.鈥�

聽

The marked growth of aquaculture is due to several factors, including:

• We are over fishing the oceans
• Global warming and pollution are reducing ocean harvests
• The growth of the human population
• Aging populations are increasingly health-conscious and looking for seafood options
• Positive feed conversion rates (tilapia grow quickly with less grain needed per pound than other popular meat producers)

聽

Aquaculture offers an alternative to traditional ocean fishing, as it creates new products with controlled feed and breeding methods.

聽

Sustainability has a completely different meaning in relation to aquaculture. Fish farmers focus on the global management of our bio-mass and the impact of production and consumption鈥攊t鈥檚 the only way to feed our growing planet.

聽

Food for thought.

Recent images of pollutants threatening the seafood industry in the Gulf of Mexico immediately prompt us to ask whether seafood supply is safe for consumption. The answer may surprise you:聽 only a very small percentage of our total seafood resources come from local oceans. The bulk of U.S. ocean harvest seafood comes from Alaska and not from the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico produced 1.2 billion pounds of finfish and shellfish worth $659 million in total landings, yet this is still just a small fraction of the total consumed in the United States.

One species, tilapia, accounts for the same amount in value, however, all of it is farmed and not caught in the ocean.聽 The total value of tilapia imported in 2008 and 2009 is approximately $700 million each year. Farmed fish are a reliable source of healthy fish protein and they are not affected by public waterway disasters, such as the recent Gulf oil spill, especially when the fish is farmed inland in freshwater ponds, which is the method preferred by HQ Sustainable.

Continued growth of the aquaculture industry is being promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).聽 A recent major publication by the FAO titled 鈥�Commercial Aquaculture and Economic Growth, Poverty Alleviation and Food Security,鈥� outlines how expanding responsible aquaculture operations can not only help alleviate pressures on our oceans, but also reduce poverty in developing countries.

Brummett and Williams (鈥淭he evolution of aquaculture in African rural and economic development,鈥� Ecological Economics, 2000, p. 197) point out that high population growth, low elasticity of demand for fish, and static fishery production make aquaculture an important supply source for fish products.聽

聽

Alleviation of poverty in third world countries, reduction of pressure on our oceans, and the production of a safe, healthy food are just a few benefits of tilapia.

聽

Food for thought.

The feed side of the agriculture industry is a secretive group. Everyone is trying to gain a competitive edge without the hassle of protecting their methods with published patents.聽 While they strive for secrecy, the public is becoming increasingly interested in knowing what their food is fed.聽 Well, I can tell you exactly what our tilapia is (and is not) being fed.聽

聽

HQ Sustainable tilapia aren鈥檛 fed or administered antibiotics, hormones or animal byproducts (which can include fishmeal, chicken, fish oil and more).聽 The same is not true for all who raise tilapia, though.

聽

Although they are naturally omnivores, tilapia fare exceptionally well as herbivores. In their natural environment, tilapia thrive on the duck weed and algae in the water.聽 They graze on aquatic growth, similar to how cows graze in pastures.聽 Sufficient oxygen is crucial to the quality of the tilapia because it allows for the growth of aerobic algae鈥攚hich maintains the actual Tilapia flavor of the fish.聽 This all-vegetal diet we use (added algae meal rich in omega 3)聽has an added benefit–it increases the Omega 3 content in the Tilapia.

聽

By avoiding the use of animal byproducts such as fishmeal and fish oils, we not only reduce the pressures on our oceans, but also avoid the introduction of heavy metals (such as mercury found as residues in ocean caught fish) into the fresh water inland farmed tilapia.

聽

Food for thought.

When it comes to fish, the fresher the better, right?

聽

The fish fillets you see at your local grocery store, on ice, may look like they鈥檙e fresh.聽 However, it鈥檚 far more likely that they鈥檙e actually 鈥渞efresh鈥� fish.聽 Revolutionary defrosting equipment allows for the temperature of frozen fish to be increased, without the usual loss of moisture in a pressure-controlled environment.聽 While this may come as a surprise, it鈥檚 worth looking into the issue more deeply.

聽

Believe it or not, fresh fish is not scrutinized to the same degree as frozen fish. What is considered 鈥渇resh鈥� is often on ice for periods of up to 14 days before it鈥檚 sold. 聽Shipping fish on ice results in the build-up of bacteria鈥攚hich is typically compounded by melting ice made with water that comes from countries where the water quality is not as great as ours.

聽

Frozen fish is subject to bacteria tests before and after it is exported. 聽In the U.S., the FDA鈥檚 Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) programs, which assure food safety, scrutinize the handling of frozen fish.聽 Frozen or 鈥渞efreshed鈥� fish have to pass rigorous bacterial and food safety tests.聽 The same scrutiny is not applied to fresh-caught fish.

聽

As aquaculture continues to replace wild sources of fish with farmed fish, learning the difference between how those food sources translate into supermarket activity is a worthwhile discussion.聽 Many people believe that the wild fish caught without HACCP methods is superior to farmed product using Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).聽 But, due to stringent regulations, the health advantages of quality frozen products are increasingly more certain than those of fresh products.

聽

Food for thought.

There are two farming methods that can produce quality products:聽 pond farming and cage farming. One of the main challenges of cage farming is the sharing of water resources during the grow-out of Tilapia. Cage farmers share water resources between fish stock, spreading diseases.聽 To prevent disease, most aquaculture farmers using cages add antibiotics to fish feed to prevent livestock from getting sick.聽 This is not an issue with pond farms.

Dr. Claude E. Boyd is a Professor of Agriculture and Environment at Auburn University, and a long-time consultant to numerous domestic and international organizations including the World Aquaculture Society and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.聽 He explains that conflicts in the management of water resources can result in many of the fish dying.聽 A proponent of pond farming, Dr. Boyd has said, 鈥淚n general terms, pond culture is more environmentally friendly than cage culture, because it enables greater control of the water environment and effluents that impact the health of the fish.鈥� 聽

The pond farming approach;

• Controls the flow of water in and out of a pond, in order to avoid the need for antibiotics;
• Uses pond-grown algae as a feed supplement. This is noy available in moving waters for cage farmers. Adequate quantities of dissolved oxygen聽discourages the growth of any anearobic algae which could otherwise produce off-flavor.
• HQ uses pond based polyculture which mimics nature by introducing natural bottom feeder fish and predator fish to maintain the pond eco-system.

聽

Food for thought.

Whether it be beef or tilapia, the quality farmed protein we eat presents us with an end-product resulting from an animal鈥檚 ability to convert vegetal protein into animal protein. That ability is called a feed conversion level.

The beef we eat is converted by cattle at about 8 to 1, or 8 pounds of feed for one pound (live weight) of beef on the hoof (Pork is 4 to 1, chicken and salmon are 2 to 1). For tilapia, this conversion rate is typically around 1.5 to 1. 聽As you can see, the lower the conversion rate, the faster livestock can grow (and, in the case of HQ Sustainable鈥檚 tilapia, without hormones and antibiotics).

Added to this calculation is what percentage of the animal we use. With tilapia, a skinless, shallow, skinned fillet is about 33% of the fish. With beef the meat recovery is about 43%. What this means is that 1 pound of feed produces 0.21 pounds of tilapia fillet, while 1 pound of feed produces 0.075 pounds of beef鈥搈aking tilapia 4 times better at converting feed to meat than beef.

As bio-fuels made from feed grains draw grains away from the global food supply, prices spike and supply drops leading to malnutrition and starvation in certain areas of the world.

Food for thought.

Most of the frozen fish 鈥� particularly tilapia 鈥� consumed in the United States comes from China. The FDA and its Chinese equivalent (the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaus) inspect shipments destined for the U.S. but people are still concerned about food 鈥渕ade in China.鈥澛� What鈥檚 the story?

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 quarterly magazine, Amber Waves, reported, 鈥淐hinese officials have resolved to improve the quality and safety of food in China. Initial efforts were aimed at export-oriented production, which has traditionally had much higher standards, and often completely separate production and marketing chains, than products destined for the domestic market.鈥�

A major new food safety law passed in China聽in May of last year, holds food inspectors personally responsible for the quality of their inspections, such that any oversights can have criminal consequences.聽聽 While food for export channels is already treated to a much higher inspection standard, the FDA recently introduced a proactive program of food production plant inspection prior to exporting.聽 Beyond government organizations, third-party food safety auditors, including the Aquaculture Certification Council, are bringing food safety, environmental impact and social welfare issues to the forefront with further regulations.

China has embraced food safety and inspection.聽 The result is high quality, safe food for Americans.

Food for thought.