Fishing for salmon answers
Here’s your weekly Science Matters column by David Suzuki with Faisal Moola.
Fishing for salmon answers
Most of our food, whether plant or animal, comes from farms. A notable
exception is fish and seafood, much of which is caught from wild ocean
stocks. That’s starting to change, though, as aquaculture plays an
increasingly important role in the global food supply.
In many respects, that’s good news, especially when wild
fisheries are being harvested at or beyond a sustainable limit, and
pollution and global warming, among other threats, are decimating wild
fish stocks. When the aquaculture practices themselves start harming
the wild fish, though, we must question whether or not the costs of the
way we are farming outweigh the benefits.
Many aquaculture operations are environmentally sound, especially
those that separate farmed fish from wild fish, such as the contained
tanks and pond systems used to farm species such as tilapia and turbot.
As well, many types of shellfish are farmed in ways that do not harm
the environment.
Yes, you heard me right: some types of aquaculture are okay. And yes, I eat some farmed seafood.
