| As far as I know, fish caught in the wild | | | | Fish farming seems like a practical solution |
| cannot be marketed as organic in the UK. | | | | to the problem of overfishing. Fish farming, |
| However, several supermarkets and many | | | | however, is the cause of many problems. In |
| independent organic retailers now stock | | | | the UK, its salmon thats most closely |
| organic trout and salmon produced in fish | | | | associated with farming - and its |
| farms. Several types of farmed mussels and | | | | shortcomings. Public demand for cheaper food |
| shellfish are also likely to become more | | | | means that farmed salmon are often kept, for |
| widely available in the future. | | | | financial reasons, very densely stocked, with |
| | | | huge numbers of fish crammed into very little |
| In organic fish farming, many of the | | | | space. In this state, the fish can more |
| pesticides, dyes and antibiotics widely used | | | | easily become diseased, and these diseases |
| in conventional fish farming are not | | | | can spread to wild fish. Huge amounts of |
| permitted and so these fish products are | | | | antibiotics are required to keep the fish |
| generally accepted to be credible organic | | | | moderately healthy. Also a confidential study |
| products by both the soil association and | | | | for the UKs top organic body highlighted gaps |
| consumers. | | | | between its principles and the standards it |
| | | | accepted, BBC Newsnight reported. |
| However, from an animal welfare point of | | | | |
| view, there is some controversy about | | | | Is organic fish sustainable? |
| allowing farmed fish to be labelled as | | | | |
| organic. Organic principles demand that | | | | Other problems are escapes, when farmed fish |
| livestock (which includes fish) should be | | | | interbreed with wild fish and potentially |
| able to express its 'natural' behaviour | | | | weaken wild stocks, as well as pollution to |
| pattern and be kept as close to natural | | | | the water and seabed around fish farms. |
| stocking densities as possible. How can this | | | | Farmed salmon, which are carnivorous, eat |
| be when they are kept in cages in either | | | | three times their body weight in fish feed, |
| inland or in fish farms out at sea? | | | | which is made from other fish - not the best |
| | | | use of resources from an environmental point |
| The true cost of fish farming | | | | of view. |
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