Fish Farming At It's Finest

[niagarangler89]

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/02/01/infected_salmon_declared_fit_for_human_consumption_by_canadian_food_inspection_agency.html

[niagarangler89]

Here's what gets me...if the virus poses no direct human health risk...why have fish populations infected with such virus been culled in the past? Why is this the first year that they've decided to put the infected fish on the market?

Fish culls are costly. When fish farmers are ordered to cull infected salmon, they are eligible for government compensation.

The government has paid out an estimated $100 million in compensation since the virus first surfaced in the Maritimes in 1996, according to a tally of government documents done by the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

Now I get it.

[rickyy33]

Poses no direct threat to humans yet "infectious salmon anemia is an influenza-type virus and can mutate in unpredictable ways, especially if it comes into contact with another flu virus in a human being."

That doesn't sound like a direct threat does it? lol

[DaveC]

Like the part where the study took place...university of Iowa. They say it poses no threat....however th US will not import any. Its ok here though...lol

[niagarangler89]

The hypocrisy amazes me.

Also..Sobeys is refusing to purchase the infected salmon from that company, yet Loblaws openly states it has no way of distinguishing between healthy/sick salmon.

Loblaws, here's a hint: "Infected fish may have grey gills, a swollen abdomen and areas of bleeding along their belly and sides."

[smerchly]

Would Loblaws get whole salmon or just the fillets ? They would not know about this infection if only the fillets were bought . We trust our government to make sure our food is safe . Any government who allows infected meat/fish to be sold to the public should be put out of office . Let them eat the stuff at their lavish dinners ! I know people who wouldn't feed that salmon to their cat ! Maybe the salmon we catch in Lake Ontario aren't so bad after all !

[ron4blues]

Simple solution: don't buy farmed salmon.

[smerchly]

Here's what Dr.Gifford Jones has to say .....interesting read . Best to check the label to see where the fish came from........I'll stick with the local fish I catch .

Use the Ctrl & scroll to enlarge the print........

[kevin]

The fish farming industry takes so much heat, some deserved, some not. I worked in the industry years ago, and can say that for the most part, its a great way to take the pressure of wild fisheries, and provide food. It's still somewhat of a new industry in the grand scheme of things, and it will take a long time to improve it, just like any other type of farming, and will never be perfect, just like any other type of farming.

The world has to eat, and without farming, whether it's fish...beef...chicken....veggies etc, the world won't eat.

With all the negative publicity that fish farming gets, they are constantly looking at new ways to do things. I'm sure there will be big changes to come in the next several years.

When you stuff billions of people in the same ball, and try to feed them, no food is clean.

[ChefMick]

Kevin if I could double like that I would ! ! !

Awareness is rampant in the publics eye, and people are quick to label. From a Chefs standpoint, I reserches these issues continually to facilitate an educated answer for someone who reads the newspaper and substitutes facts for his or her own opinion.

Media is a very powerful influential tool, educating oneself trumps this in my opinion.

[kevin]

There are lots of safe options when eating farm raised fish. Ya, there are a couple bad apples in the industry that have routine issues, but they aren't the majority.

[ron4blues]

My biggest concern with fish farms is the environmental issue. Disease, parasites and general food safety are of course an issue, but every open-pen farm is an environmental time bomb. This is especially the case where these open-pen farms are established in areas where they can negatively impact wild populations. On-shore farms are less of an issue but do admittedly cost more to establish.

[niagarangler89]

The fish farming industry takes so much heat, some deserved, some not. I worked in the industry years ago, and can say that for the most part, its a great way to take the pressure of wild fisheries, and provide food. It's still somewhat of a new industry in the grand scheme of things, and it will take a long time to improve it, just like any other type of farming, and will never be perfect, just like any other type of farming.

The world has to eat, and without farming, whether it's fish...beef...chicken....veggies etc, the world won't eat.

With all the negative publicity that fish farming gets, they are constantly looking at new ways to do things. I'm sure there will be big changes to come in the next several years.

When you stuff billions of people in the same ball, and try to feed them, no food is clean.

I completely agree with you kevin. The title of this thread is definitely loaded and that wasn't my intention. If anything, I should've taken a shot at our government (CFIA) officials because they're really the ones to blame here.

Aquaculture is currently our only viable option to relieve the pressure on the vastly depleted wild populations of fish. Sadly though, because of the way many companies are currently running such operations, the industry has developed a bad name for itself.

I came across this video last night and think it's really relevant to what we're discussing here. The idea that the contents of the video can be achieved globally is a romantic one, but equally interesting and appealing nevertheless.

[kevin]

Anyone who eats wild caught fish has eaten a pathogen at one point or another, one that survives in cold blooded fish and not humans. My only concern with eating a fish that has a virus would be the quality of the meat due to poor feeding, I wouldn't worry one bit about any sort of safety concern.

This industry is under a microscope right now. There are thousands of pathogens, parasites, etc.. that can be found in hatchery and wild fish.

If these companies find solutions to sea lice, it's on to the next problem. If they find solutions to parasites or pathogens, it's on to the next problem. They have a bad name right now and any problem, regardless if it's harmless, will make the news.