An investigation finds that the feed behind much of modern aquaculture is driving ocean depletion, labor abuse, pollution, and unrest far from the dinner plate.

Charity calls for faster progress on humane slaughter laws for farmed fish in England and Wales

(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2021) A report published in Royal Society Open Science finds pesticide-resistant parasitic lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) are endangering wild and farmed fish populations in the North Atlantic. Extensive use of pesticides to rid the parasite has led to widespread resistance to multiple pesticides, prompting increasing infection rates among North Atlantic salmon populations. Overexploitation of wild fish and other ocean organisms has depleted seafood stocks globally. Some fisheries market aquaculture practices, like fish/seafood farming, as a solution to overfishing. However, the aquaculture industry repeatedly faces sustainability issues and fails to adhere to environmental regulations that threaten marine health. The oceans are essential to human health and well-being, feeding billions, supporting millions of jobs, and supplying medicinal materials. However, environmental contaminants like pesticides have profound impact on the ecosystem and the inhabitants. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how pesticides can influence resistance among lethal pest populations, especially in ecologically vulnerable and highly interconnected ecosystems like ocean basins. The authors of the report caution, “These results demonstrate the speed to which this parasite can develop widespread multi-resistance, illustrating why the aquaculture industry has repeatedly lost the arms race with this highly problematic parasite.” Over the past two decades, organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides […]

Farmed fish surpass wild catch for the first time, says FAO. In 2022, 94 million tons were farmed versus 91 million wild-caught, raising sustainability concerns

Abel & Cole announced they are stopping selling organic salmon. It reveals that farmed salmon is unlikely to be the fresh and ‘sustainably produced’ fillet of omega 3 we once believed it to be...