potrero view

July 2008

Fishing For a Healthy Catch

By Shannon Schafer

In the wake of the recent ban on commercial salmon fishing off the Pacific Coast, many consumers are questioning the sustainability of eating wild fish.  Salmon consumption has dramatically increased over the last decade due to greater awareness of the health benefits of fatty fish and their nutrient density.  But record low salmon numbers in the Sacramento River prompted the Pacific Fishery Management Council to take action to protect the area’s habitat.  

Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, high quality fish can help sustain proper brain and nervous system function, as well as the production of anti-inflammatory hormones.  Recent studies have confirmed Omega-3’s also have cardiovascular benefits and can help prevent heart disease.  They improve blood lipids, lowering cholesterol and tryiglycerides, and they’re essential in cell formation and visual function.  The key to reaping Omega-3’s benefits is finding healthy fish that are rich in these essential fatty acids, free of antibiotics, PCBs, heavy metals, and dioxins.  

Wild fish are often thought to be nutritionally superior to farmed fish, principally because by feeding off of their natural habitat the fish have higher Omega-3 content.  Farmed fish are often fed processed pellets made of soy, corn, and small amounts of fishmeal.  The pellets don’t provide as much nourishment, resulting in lower Omega-3 content.  Lacking key nutrients, farmed salmon’s flesh often has a grayish hue, prompting farmers to feed the fish color additives to turn their flesh into a more marketable pink.   The fish are also starved for several days before they’re harvested to improve their flavor and reduce their oils.  

Farmed fish are often marketed as “ocean-raised fish” because of the bad press fish farms have recently received.  However, even when floating pens are placed in the ocean they’re often overcrowded, accumulating feces.  The fish are given antibiotics to ward off diseases and parasites, as well as drugs and hormones to enhance growth and increase reproductive behavior.  There’s significant danger that farmed fish will escape and taint wild stocks.  

However, even wild fish pose safety concerns.  According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, tuna consumption exposes many Americans to mercury.  The heavy metal seeps into water bodies from chlorine chemical plants, coal-fired power plants, and auto scrap recycling.  Over time it settles in oceans, lakes, and rivers, poisoning marine life’s food supply.  Bioaccumulation of mercury can cause neurological disorders, fetal damage, and impaired vision.  Other toxic compounds, such as PCBs, dioxins, and pesticides, have been found in both wild and farmed fish.  All of these chemicals have been found in the San Francisco Bay, and eating local seafood may pose health risks, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.

A number of innovative companies are providing high quality fish, farmed and wild.  Vital Choice harvests sustainable wild fish from Alaska that’s tested frequently for mercury and certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.  The Monterey Aquarium (www.mbayaq.org) provides a detailed list of fish to avoid, such as Chilean Seabass, Atlantic Cod, imported King Crab, and Pacific Roughy.  There’s even a Seafood Watch pocket guide that you can download that identifies the best fish choices, both farmed and wild.  Alaskan wild salmon and Pacific halibut were included in the 2008 West Coast guide’s Best Choice list.  Sardines are also an excellent choice because of their small size; the smaller and younger the fish, the less bioaccumulation of toxins.  

There are exciting environmental breakthroughs in aquaculture too.  Companies like Kona Blue Water Farms are using open ocean agriculture hatch-to-harvest monitoring systems.  The company, founded by a marine biologist, uses offshore pens, at least half a mile from shore and 200 feet deep.  It avoids endangered fish and only raises Kona Kampachi, a Hawaii yellowtail fish.  Kona Blue Water Farms harvests only to fulfill restaurant orders from such high-end eateries as French Laundry in Napa.  According to Garrett Gruener, an investor in Kona Blue, “We’re taking fish native to tropical regions and creating a new species that tastes good and has zero mercury.”  There’s no genetic engineering, hormones, or preventative antibiotics used in the process.  Similar to buying beef or chicken, this is key to a quality Omega-3 rich fish.  

When purchasing fish make sure to inquire about its source, and the practices used to ensure sustainability and minimum ecological impact.  Look for the Safe Harbor Certification, which ensures low mercury levels, with a stricter standard than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s one part per million.  The Marine Stewardship Council (www.msc.org) also has a certification that guarantees the fish was harvested based on responsible practices and the product is not over fished.  The stamp can be found on products like Whole Foods’ Whole Catch Wild Alaskan Salmon.

Subscribe to The Potrero View

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2006 The Potrero View.

Content on this site may not be archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of The Potrero View or its Publishers.