Earth Matters: Fish farming spawns praise, controversy

Fish are immersed in near-freezing water in a preservative process known as "ice shocking"

March 31, 2000
Web posted at: 2:57 PM EST (1957 GMT)

In this story: The ice shock method 'A responsible way to farm fish' Farm fish foul can wild fish waters RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Reporter Jennifer Skiff

CHIOS, Greece (CNN) -- The fish farming industry has become so big that experts predict more fish will come from farms than the wild in 20 years. But are consumers aware of what they're getting and where it's coming from?

Fish harvesters in Greece have employed the latest techniques in aquaculture, which some applaud as proof that the industry can provide consumers what they want and when they want it.

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Reporter Jennifer Skiff takes a look at fish farming in Greece. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K
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More info on the business of aquaculture

On the island of Chios, one might assume a seaside restaurant serves fish caught locally. But some comes from as far away as India and China.

Most consumers don't know where their fish originates. Demand for seafood all year-round is the driving force behind aquaculture.

Fish harvesting can replenish declining populations of wild fish throughout the world, according to fisheries experts. The industry also creates jobs and rebuilds endangered species populations through captive breeding and release programs.

Aquaculture now provides 25 percent of the world's seafood supply. Much of it reaches consumers frozen, having been shipped from a different part of the world. In the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Greece, new methods in fish farming are being refined to get fresh seafood to markets as far away as Toronto and New York.

At harvest time at one farm, the fish go immediately from their pens to a container holding near-freezing water. The process is known as ice shock. The fish die within seconds and remain fresh for up to 12 days.

Industry officials consider ice shock more humane than other harvesting methods. The practice has attracted interest among aquaculture experts in other countries.

Feeding fish at a Greek fish farm. Experts predict that in 20 years, more fish will come from farms than from the wild

"This is an incredible fish farm. It's supplying the European market and they're shipping these fish in less than 24 hours from where we're standing to a table in Paris, for example," said Ken Coons of the New England Fisheries Development Association. "I find that remarkable, to be able to move fish that quickly and do it fresh."

"I think they're very conscientious. They're stocking density. In other words, how many fish there are in a given area is not too crowded, which is a very responsible way to farm fish," Coons added.

Not all farms manage their fish the same way. Some use more antibiotics to treat sick fish while others use more pesticides in their pens. Scientists don't know the long-term health affects of chemicals on people who eat the fish.

"I think an aquaculture product is like anything you consume. You need to know what's in it, know how to it got to you. Perhaps the techniques that were used to grow it, like the tomato, like the cucumber. Ask questions. Get knowledgeable," said Francie King, author of Farming the Fruits of the Sea.

Another threat posed by farms that operate close to shore is pollution. Native wild fish can suffocate or be driven away by fecal matter and excess feed from fish pens.

Shorelines can become fouled, which is one reason fish farms are controversial with property owners.

"It's like any technological development. We have to be cautious and careful. We have to take in as many of these factors as we can if we're concerned about the natural world and our own health," King said.

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Food and Agriculture Organization
New England Fisheries Development Association

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