Dangers of Farmed Salmon
Farmed salmon are raised in crowded net cages. This is the equivalent to an industrial feedlot in the ocean. There are many problems with salmon farms, both environmentally and health wise.
Do You Really Know What you are Buying?
It is easy to identify farmed salmon from wild salmon. It is unfortunate that I see salmon mislabeled in stores quite regularly. Often times, it is not the grocery store that is to blame, but the seafood distributer or producer providing false information. When you are paying a premium for wild salmon you should get what you are promised. Please beware that no US standard exists for organic seafood and all claims to be “all natural”, “no antibiotics administered”, “no hormones or chemicals added” are unverified.
Ocean Raised or Pen Raised?
This is a new marketing strategy being used because people are becoming more educated about the dangers and problems associated with salmon farming. Don’t be fooled. Ocean raised and pen raised means the same thing.
Health Impacts Associated with Farmed Salmon
- PCB’s and Contaminants
- Studies have proven farmed salmon to be high in PCB’s and other contaminants.
- Based on extensive cancer research, the World Health Organization, EPA and US Department of Health and Human Services consider PCB’s a probable carcinogen in humans and a known carcinogen for animals.
- A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found farmed salmon to be 16 times higher in PCB’s than wild salmon.
- Excessive Use of Antibiotics
Color wheel for dying farmed salmon
- It is common practice for salmon farms to use antibiotics in feed to prevent the spread of disease in crowded salmon pens.
- Many of these antibiotics are the same ones used to treat human diseases.
- This poses a health risk as disease microbes become resistant to antibiotic treatments.
- Use of colorants and dyes
- Farmed salmon’s meat would be grey without the use of dyes.
- Canthaxanthin, a pigment used to color farmed salmon has been linked to eye retinal problems.
What is a PCB?
- Polychlorinated biphenyls are oily liquids or solids that have been used in coolants and lubricants.
- The use of PCB’s was banned in 1979 because of the build up in the environment and health problems they cause.
- PCB’s still persist in nature and farmed salmon absorb them, as well as eat PCB laden fish food.
- Extensive research by government agencies show that PCB’s cause cancer in animals.
Environmental Problems Associated With Farmed Salmon
- Farmed Salmon Spread Diseases to Wild Salmon
Juvenile salmon with lethal sea lice-courtesy Alexandra Morton
- Sea Lice, parasites, and disease from escaped farmed salmon are endangering the health of wild salmon stocks.
- Sea Lice naturally occur with adult salmon in the ocean. However, the adult’s skin is tough enough to not be too affected by the parasites.
- In the past, sea lice never passed from adult to juvenile salmon because the adults die before any contact with juvenile fish. Now, wild juvenile salmon must run a gauntlet of infected farmed salmon (penned at the mouth of their natal rivers and streams) before reaching the open ocean. Sea lice passed from farmed salmon are killing otherwise healthy stocks of wild salmon.
- Salmon Farming Pollutes the Ocean
- Feed waste containing pesticides and antibiotics as well as fish excrement gather on the ocean floor. It is then spread out by ocean currents to surrounding coastal communities, creating destructive plankton blooms and destroying shellfish beds.
- Salmon Farming is Wasteful
Waste beneath salmon farm-David Suzuki.org
- It takes 3 pounds of fish to create 1 pound of farmed salmon.
Is There a Solution?
YES, farming salmon with a closed containment system would reduce many of the environmental impacts associated with farmed salmon. However, salmon farms are not implementing this method due to the costs associated with it.
Closed fiberglass salmon pen-David Suzuki.org