If living
a life in captivity is exactly the same as in the wild, explain to me, why do
the killer whales at all Sea World parks have that curved top fin? Strange,
huh? The arrogance of the scientists involved is so profound, they believe, or
want you to believe that the human being has been able to create an environment
that is exactly the same as nature. Although I obviously have very strong views
regarding Sea World, the point I'm making here is specifically with regards to
those very lofty, comforting signs we see at the "fresh" fish counter
at our local markets. I'm talking about farm raised.
We have
been force-fed the idea that aquaculture, or farm-raising certain types of fish
for human consumption is the cure for our ever growing demand for fresh
seafood. We have a virtually unlimited supply and can feel good about it
because we aren't depleting any natural resources in the process. Certain
grocery chains have launched huge campaigns selling us this idea, almost so
strongly that one has to wonder if they are the ones needing the convincing.
Look
closely, the next time you see some farm raised salmon at the fish counter, on
the label you will see the words: "color added". Farm raised salmon
actually contains a color additive to generate the pinkish hue that we expect.
This is done because farm raised salmon has a slightly different color, more
grey, less pink. Farm raised fish are fed pellets of fish meal and antibiotics
to produce the heaviest fish they can at "harvest". Observations have
been made in the areas that surround these massive sea cages, indicating the
presence of the cage and unnatural fish population, combined with the chemical
additives in the feed has resulted in devastation to the local ecosystem.
As more
research is conducted, the hard truth comes to light. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency's own guidelines, consuming more than one meal
per month, which contains farm raised salmon, could pose an unacceptable risk
of cancer or certain neurological conditions.
This is a
joke, businesses all over the world have realized that the modern day gold rush
is on; it's called green, eco-friendly, sustainable, responsible and so on.
These businesses have developed clever techniques for selling this dream to
you. They make you feel guilty or wrong for choices you are making. They do
this for profit, not for sustainability or stewardship.
A few
years back, I was traveling quite a bit to Nova Scotia, Canada for business. On
my flights in, I would always see these large sea cages in the Gulf of Maine
and think how remarkable they were. I thought to myself how profitable they
must be as it would only take a handful of people to care for the whole
production. On one of these trips, I took a ride with a good buddy of mine to a
small fishing village called Clam Harbour. I learned that Clam Harbour mainly
serves as a port for lobster boats. It was winter when I was there and I saw
mountains, probably thousands of lobster pots racked up on the docks waiting
for another season. Looking back at the irony of that trip, I realize how
catastrophic the move towards aquaculture could be for the local economies in
these communities. There is pride and culture in fishing. It is a way of life
and it's worth preserving.
The
farm-raising community would like us to believe that their way is the only true
way to protect the world's fisheries. This, of course, is completely false. The
United States and Canada have, in recent years, taken a more active role in the
preservation of OUR fisheries, however, some Mediterranean countries, Japan and
China continue to demonstrate an arrogant disregard for reality, and agreements
that they have individually chosen to agree to as a part of worldwide efforts
to responsibly manage this resource.
For
health's sake, look at the label. Buy wild caught, when you are out at a
restaurant, ask your server and like everything else, think twice if it doesn't
say "Product of USA" or "Product of Canada". For many of
you, the money that bought the food on your dinner table tonight is going to be
as a result of a small business. Buying wild caught fish puts food on your
neighbor's table.
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| Pictured above, wild caught Pacific King Salmon (that I went to three different stores to find), lightly salted with my Hickory Smoked Sea Salt and grilled over natural oak char-coal. |
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