Well, salmon are carnivorous and presumably eat fish in the wild, so it makes a certain kind of sense. Feeding animals other animals of the same species is just a bad idea all round, for reasons that are all too familiar by now, but I doubt that's what's happening here.
The news article seems poorly written; there are contradictory statements in the opening paragraphs that look like they're the result of bad editing. But on top of that, it's worth mentioning that it's almost never a good idea to make big changes in behavior based on one study's assessment of a previously unknown health risk, unless the difference is more gigantic and clear-cut than what's been stated here.
(Consider that study a few years ago that stated that essentially all baked goods produced since the beginning of time contained officially unacceptable levels of some carcinogen; further studies actually tracked people and didn't show any associated increase in cancer risk.)
It will be interesting to see the followup, though.
Based on the study results, the lead author still eats salmon; he (or, usually, his wife) just checks where it came from first. The major focus of the paper, which most of the reports haven't picked up on because the content of the paper wasn't publicly released until this afternoon, was a comparison of bioaccumulation of pollutants in different locations; fish raised in the north Atlantic are much more polluted than those in the south Pacific. Using the EPA risk calculations, one can have something like eight servings a month of wild or Chilean farmed salmon without raising cancer risk, but only half a serving of Norwegian or Scottish farmed salmon without raising the risk the same amount.
I commented on this in my journal as well. Just eat the wild alaskan salmon, its out there and not that outrageously priced. If you'd seen the conditions of the pens (which I have many times while birding in the PNW,) you wouldn't want to touch the farmed ones either. Its smelly filth city.
The "farmers" PR is happy to go on about all the changes made to timed feders and underwater cameras with observers checking for food dropping, etc. But the crowding and resulting pollution level to the surrounding coastline is horrid. And now they want approval for their genetic wonder salmon which grows twice as fast. Which of course means it eats twice as much so it can grow twice as fast. Thank god alaska has had the common sense and skill to ban the pens from their waters, will continue to do so and manage their wild stocks. This is all great news for them.
Koi chow is also ground up fish parts. Ground up waste meat is used as "protein" for many species of captive animals. Most tropical fish flakes even have fish meal.
I remember in my college aquaculture class (mid 80s,) that pen farming was considered one of the ways we'd feed the masses in the world and had all this amazing potential, etc. But we've hit the wall of reality and it exists. Wham! Nothing is ever as easy as you think it will be. We've polluted and ruined the salmons natural habitat while taking it and breeding it and polluting its own flesh, both resulting in negative impact for us on many levels. We humans aren't working with a full deck of cards are we? DOH!
But if I eat the wild salmon, that eventually contributes to overfishing and depletion of the stocks and general environmental badness, right?
Fish are a pretty clear-cut case in which my personal health interests and those of the planet are at cross purposes; it would be better for the world if I were dead. Probably true in general, actually, but unfortunately I'm not planning on going away for a while.
I always feared that, but Alaska'a stock is very very well managed in my opinion. I haven't eaten any type of salmon except alaskan salmon since 99. (Or maybe I should say bought. I can think of one time I was at a friend's house and served it and shut my mouth as rare as that is for me. I also don't eat raw salmon because that's where most the farmed stuff goes, especially at small sushi houses.)
Heh. As the article mentioned, if you're just concerned about Omega 3 fatty acids, there are many non animal sources. Flax seed oil is delicious and now is encapsulated (I mean, I see that everywhere. Used to be you could only find it refrigerated in those little containers in health food stores.) That's what I always gave my horses, so I started my birds on it eons ago and contribute much of their good health to it. Nuts of course are excellent healthy oil sources (remember, peanuts are not nuts!)
There is a website I have marked, and I probably won't find it now... it lists all the environmental concerns about various fish, focusing mainly on how the fisheries are maintained, and its a great resource. I'll see if I can find it....
Do you have labeling in your stores (i don't think you do, CA is unique like that. We also (THANK GOODNESS) got on the pressure treated lumber bandwagon long before everyone else, pretty much ending the arsenic contaminated products for everyone... But you probably don't have labels all over the place saying: ATTENTION! Tuna, swordfish and *lists fish* have been known to carry significant levels of mercury. .... ? Those are everywhere around here.
Here's some links (and notice the dates on them. This isn't a new concern either about the farmed fish or the mercury.) http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/5070550.htm
OH and here's something new I bet you aren't aware of: "Chilean Sea Bass". Which is something you'll see on almost any major seafood restaurant menu and large seafood market. Sometimes its just labeled "Sea Bass" (Not black bass.)
Its now approximated that upwards of 75% of the "chilean sea bass" that hits the us market is actually Toothfish. Now, I had NO clue about this until 98/99 when I was in the South Atlantic. It is HEAVILY poached and literally only in the end of 2003 (when there was a big australian chase since they and south africa have HAD it, that got lots of media attention, I'll find an article for you...) has it started getting out in the press.
I found out about toothfish because it has a MASSIVE impact on the seabird and albatross populations down there. Because its quiet and illegal, there's no accounting for the bycatch of the birds and any other species which occur. Seabird biologists are furious over this. The countries are now getting involved since its impacting their lucrative markets. Around the antarctic its a hot topic. And we in the US just keep ordering "sea bass" as clueless as usual. As 100 people you meet, I bet not one knows what a toothfish is, nor what it means.
I just clicked on audubon's database and am grateful to see it listed under "chilean sea bass". http://www.seafoodchoices.com/seasense/chilean_sea_bass.shtml
I have to disagree with that 10% number. There was a VERY recent article with revised numbers, lemme see if I can find any of these....
Ok, here are lots of articles about at least that one infamous toothfish chase (got lots of press! USA today, wow...) http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=&p=toothfish+chase
Here's the BBC article, and look especially on the right where it links similar toothfish articles: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3186653.stm
Here's one of the best descriptive articles about the toothfish: http://www.antdiv.gov.au/default.asp?casid=1539
Lemme send you this and look for a recent toothfish article with the new numbers, I'm sure it was 75% and up because I was so shocked ...might be in a private journal entry.
Brilliant! How wonderful to chat with someone who has obviously taken the time to consider what they do and eat and such. You are the first person I think to know what toothfish are, that I've chatted about this with.
Oh I mis typed something. I should have said 75% of anything labeled "sea bass" is the toothfish. Because you'll see so many vague labels. I was in trader joe's and saw some "sea bass" and odds are it was toothfish. But anyhow, just wanted to correct that in my rant above...
Just go to Bread & Circus (Whole Foods, Fresh Fields, your local indie place, etc.) and buy the wild salmon. The folks at NPR said that the wild salmon was much, much better for you than the farm-raised stuff. Sometimes when it is on sale it is very close to the price of the farm-raised, and let me tell you, the wild salmon TASTES better, and has a better texture, too.
Ah, but since I live in Malden where there's no market for organic yuppie food, going to such a place involves traveling a longer distance, which pumps more carcinogens into the atmosphere and then kills other people, unless I take public transportation in which case going to buy groceries takes 3 hours, and if we add up those hours over the course of a lifetime it probably exceeds the mathematical expectation for life lost from eating riskier food.
So I guess the fish paper means I have to move back to Arlington.
Or I suppose you could just move to alaska (where they'll pay their residents to live there,) and catch it yourself a couple months of the year... hops right in your arm and nothing is more delicious, except the guy who will smoke it for you right down the street. Mmmm.
Plus think of the exercise you'll get instead of paying for a gym (if you do.) :)
Actually the NPR story said that due to the rising concern over farm fish, more places might start to carry wild salmon sooner rather than later, so you will not have to drive so far. But I will believe it when it happens.
Why the exclusive focus on salmon? Tuna, herring, sardines, etc. are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are great (I think better than other nuts). Tonight I had spaghetti specially made to incorporate flax seeds.
I stopped eating so much farmed salmon when the NY Times revealed the pink color of farmed salmon was the result of feed that was specially dyed pink. It was a completely non-rigorous tip-off that it wasn't the same old salmon and that the reality was being masked.
It's hard though. I got some bell peppers the other day, mistakenly conventional instead of organic fertilizer. Apparently, bell peppers are among the most pesticide-rich vegetables, even though they're supposed to be good for you otherwise.
Actually it's not so much that, as that I just really like most kinds of fish. Salmon and tuna particularly, but many others as well. But eating fish is a kind of minefield if you're concerned about both your health, the environment and sustainable fishing practices; it seems as if just about everything has something or other wrong with it.
And thinking about it puts me into my usual obsessive state about the futility of trying to live mindfully; you can cover one or two bases well enough, but if you really want to be good it's a full-time job, and will crowd out your life unless you're the kind of person who really gets a lot of pleasure out of improving yourself in every way, such as my mother-in-law.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 12:55 am (UTC)We all gotta die sometime. It's our choice to the how, and when though.
The sad thing though, is that they are feeding fish ground up fish for food. That's just odd.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:18 am (UTC)The news article seems poorly written; there are contradictory statements in the opening paragraphs that look like they're the result of bad editing. But on top of that, it's worth mentioning that it's almost never a good idea to make big changes in behavior based on one study's assessment of a previously unknown health risk, unless the difference is more gigantic and clear-cut than what's been stated here.
(Consider that study a few years ago that stated that essentially all baked goods produced since the beginning of time contained officially unacceptable levels of some carcinogen; further studies actually tracked people and didn't show any associated increase in cancer risk.)
It will be interesting to see the followup, though.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:51 am (UTC)The "farmers" PR is happy to go on about all the changes made to timed feders and underwater cameras with observers checking for food dropping, etc. But the crowding and resulting pollution level to the surrounding coastline is horrid. And now they want approval for their genetic wonder salmon which grows twice as fast. Which of course means it eats twice as much so it can grow twice as fast. Thank god alaska has had the common sense and skill to ban the pens from their waters, will continue to do so and manage their wild stocks. This is all great news for them.
Koi chow is also ground up fish parts. Ground up waste meat is used as "protein" for many species of captive animals. Most tropical fish flakes even have fish meal.
I remember in my college aquaculture class (mid 80s,) that pen farming was considered one of the ways we'd feed the masses in the world and had all this amazing potential, etc. But we've hit the wall of reality and it exists. Wham! Nothing is ever as easy as you think it will be. We've polluted and ruined the salmons natural habitat while taking it and breeding it and polluting its own flesh, both resulting in negative impact for us on many levels. We humans aren't working with a full deck of cards are we? DOH!
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:03 am (UTC)Fish are a pretty clear-cut case in which my personal health interests and those of the planet are at cross purposes; it would be better for the world if I were dead. Probably true in general, actually, but unfortunately I'm not planning on going away for a while.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:26 am (UTC)Heh. As the article mentioned, if you're just concerned about Omega 3 fatty acids, there are many non animal sources. Flax seed oil is delicious and now is encapsulated (I mean, I see that everywhere. Used to be you could only find it refrigerated in those little containers in health food stores.) That's what I always gave my horses, so I started my birds on it eons ago and contribute much of their good health to it. Nuts of course are excellent healthy oil sources (remember, peanuts are not nuts!)
There is a website I have marked, and I probably won't find it now... it lists all the environmental concerns about various fish, focusing mainly on how the fisheries are maintained, and its a great resource. I'll see if I can find it....
Do you have labeling in your stores (i don't think you do, CA is unique like that. We also (THANK GOODNESS) got on the pressure treated lumber bandwagon long before everyone else, pretty much ending the arsenic contaminated products for everyone... But you probably don't have labels all over the place saying: ATTENTION! Tuna, swordfish and *lists fish* have been known to carry significant levels of mercury. .... ? Those are everywhere around here.
Here's some links (and notice the dates on them. This isn't a new concern either about the farmed fish or the mercury.)
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/5070550.htm
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/73/88943.htm
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/conservation_consumption/71963
(good links)
AH here it is, the "Seafood selector" from EDF!
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/seafood/fishhome.cfm
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:30 am (UTC)http://www.seafoodchoices.com/seasense/
http://www.audubon.org/campaign/lo/seafood/
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:46 am (UTC)Its now approximated that upwards of 75% of the "chilean sea bass" that hits the us market is actually Toothfish. Now, I had NO clue about this until 98/99 when I was in the South Atlantic. It is HEAVILY poached and literally only in the end of 2003 (when there was a big australian chase since they and south africa have HAD it, that got lots of media attention, I'll find an article for you...) has it started getting out in the press.
I found out about toothfish because it has a MASSIVE impact on the seabird and albatross populations down there. Because its quiet and illegal, there's no accounting for the bycatch of the birds and any other species which occur. Seabird biologists are furious over this. The countries are now getting involved since its impacting their lucrative markets. Around the antarctic its a hot topic. And we in the US just keep ordering "sea bass" as clueless as usual. As 100 people you meet, I bet not one knows what a toothfish is, nor what it means.
I just clicked on audubon's database and am grateful to see it listed under "chilean sea bass".
http://www.seafoodchoices.com/seasense/chilean_sea_bass.shtml
I have to disagree with that 10% number. There was a VERY recent article with revised numbers, lemme see if I can find any of these....
Ok, here are lots of articles about at least that one infamous toothfish chase (got lots of press! USA today, wow...)
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=&p=toothfish+chase
Here's the BBC article, and look especially on the right where it links similar toothfish articles:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3186653.stm
Here's one of the best descriptive articles about the toothfish:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/default.asp?casid=1539
Lemme send you this and look for a recent toothfish article with the new numbers, I'm sure it was 75% and up because I was so shocked ...might be in a private journal entry.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 03:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 05:32 am (UTC)Oh I mis typed something. I should have said 75% of anything labeled "sea bass" is the toothfish. Because you'll see so many vague labels. I was in trader joe's and saw some "sea bass" and odds are it was toothfish. But anyhow, just wanted to correct that in my rant above...
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:54 am (UTC)So I guess the fish paper means I have to move back to Arlington.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:06 am (UTC)Plus think of the exercise you'll get instead of paying for a gym (if you do.) :)
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 04:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 02:50 am (UTC)Why the exclusive focus on salmon? Tuna, herring, sardines, etc. are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are great (I think better than other nuts). Tonight I had spaghetti specially made to incorporate flax seeds.
I stopped eating so much farmed salmon when the NY Times revealed the pink color of farmed salmon was the result of feed that was specially dyed pink. It was a completely non-rigorous tip-off that it wasn't the same old salmon and that the reality was being masked.
It's hard though. I got some bell peppers the other day, mistakenly conventional instead of organic fertilizer. Apparently, bell peppers are among the most pesticide-rich vegetables, even though they're supposed to be good for you otherwise.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-09 03:40 am (UTC)And thinking about it puts me into my usual obsessive state about the futility of trying to live mindfully; you can cover one or two bases well enough, but if you really want to be good it's a full-time job, and will crowd out your life unless you're the kind of person who really gets a lot of pleasure out of improving yourself in every way, such as my mother-in-law.