Environmentally bad

By feeding farmed salmon wild-caught fish, we are exacerbating our impacts on marine ecosystems

Toronto Star, Kai M. A. Chan
Published January 10, 2006

Spawning controversy Jan. 6. The debate surrounding the health risks and benefits of salmon is distressingly myopic, failing to address three key issues. First, we are not chained to our food. While Health Canada "experts" offer sophomoric advice ("the benefits of eating oily fish like salmon still outweigh any risks"), where is the discussion of the other oily fish? Sardines, herrings, jack mackerel and other small fish have the same omega-3 fatty acids and offer many of the same health benefits. Because they are small and low in the food chain, they have two major advantages, overlooked in your article, which brings us to the next point. Second, a discussion of food chains would give context to discussion of salmon and farming, for concerns of health and environment. Salmon are carnivorous, high in the food chain. We don't eat lions, for good reason; it takes an awful lot of beef to make lion meat. Similarly, it takes a lot of sardines to make salmon. This fact has two implications - eating salmon (and tuna, swordfish, shark, etc.) is environmentally unfriendly and unhealthy. By feeding farmed salmon wild-caught fish, we are exacerbating our impacts on marine ecosystems, and concentrating ("bio-accumulating") toxins that accumulate in the fats of all the small feeder fish. Third, issues of environmental toxicity must be related to environmental legislation and the choices we make as voters and consumers. It is downright frightening that eating apparently good food can be so toxic, due solely to environmental pollution. We are not powerless to change this. We can push for stronger emission controls from government, and we can follow guidelines of groups like the Environmental Working Group to purchase products that are far less polluting. Kai M. A. Chan, Assistant Professor, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.