Fish farms have lowered the price of fish, making seafood more widely available. However, a movement has sparked to make the industry more humane and eco-friendly.
Nutritional Value
Fish grown and farmed in an artificial environment have lower nutritional value than those found in natural habitats. Most who choose to add fish to their diet do so for health reasons, but farmed fish falls short in that department.
This is largely due to the difference in the diet of farmed fish, which are fed corn and soy which lack omega-3 fatty acids that are a beneficial part of eating fish.
How Are The Fish Used?
While some fish can eat alternative feed such as corn and soy, other fish feed on fish alone. These include tuna and salmon: both of which are very popular with consumers across a wide range of industries. Since these fish are bred in a controlled environment, there is much more of it than usual.
As a result, farmers will have to fish more of anchovies and herrings, for the bigger fish to eat. It could lead to nearly wiping such species off the map.
Fish Experience Pain
At this point, there is ample proof that fish experience pain and stress. This causes concerns of animal welfare, as well as the fact that pain and stress tend to make the meat sour and less appealing.
Toxins In the Ecoysystem
To prevent farmed fish from growing ill, farmers add antibiotics and other chemicals to the water. The chemicals are to protect fish from toxins in the ecosystem, but as a result the chemicals can have a devastating effect on the environment.
Hostile Environments
There is ample evidence to show that fish perceive farmed environments as hostile, going so far as to try and escape from fish farms. It is expected that around 20% of salmon run away, and those who remain tend to live much shorter lives in captivity.
The Overall Cost
Calculating the cost of running such a business goes behind typical expenses and supplies. Since the industry can have such a damaging effect on the environment, the costs of repairing damages must be taken into account. When all of this is taken into account, fish farms no longer seem financially viable. In fact, the costs overall are often greater than the profit that they turn.
Conclusion
Fish farms play a major role in our food delivery systems, allowing us to grow more fish at a time and reduce the costs for consumers. However, it comes at a cost that is both financial and ecological in nature.