%PDF-1.1 %���� Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Both of these methods of fish farming create problems for the planet. The Battle Over Fish Farming In The Open Ocean Heats Up, As EPA Permit Looms : The Salt Advocates say farmed seafood is more sustainable than wild-caught. Soy farming pollutes the land people need to live on and thereby destroys local communities. ), Plant-Based Immune System Boosters to Keep You Healthy During the Holidays, Reducing Muscle Stiffness with Plant-Based Foods. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soy plants are designed to be resistant to the corporate giant’s controversial herbicide Roundup, which has proven negative effects on the environment. Farmed fish also out-compete wild fish in some cases, leading to population decline of healthy, natural fish. Sign up for daily news from OneGreenPlanet. Large corporations have large stakes in the fish farming industry. Spread the word. Soybean companies and trade associations benefit from soy-fed fish farming. Local activist groups including La Via Campesina and the National Indigenous Campesino Movement of Argentina are attempting to regain control and attain rights over their homelands. As with many foods people consume, there are hidden costs to consuming fish, even fish from supposedly ‘sustainable’ sources. Soy-fed fish will exist so long as people continue to buy from unsustainable, unethical sources, and the human health impacts of consuming soy-fed fish are not yet known. In several U.S. states, underground drainage pipes are required to dry out land needed to grow soybean crops, and the water collected by the pipes, which contains nitrogen fertilizers, and end up in the Gulf of Mexico. Farmed soy-fed fish also produce more waste than wild fish, which leads to an increase in oceanic pollution and again raises contamination risks of other sea life species. The three types of omega-3 fatty acids that people obtain by consuming fish come from algae. All facilities need to be managed to minimize risks to animal health and well-being, whether stemming from infectious disease, injury, or predators. Some fish farms use small, overcrowded cages akin to battery hen method, which ‘open ocean’ or ‘offshore aquaculture’ involves growing fish in isolated large cages in the ocean, far from the coastline. Another study found that when a group of eels was fed on soy, 11 times more eels became females than in the control group. Instead of consuming fish from questionable sources you can consume algae in supplement form as capsules or powder, and ensure that it is from efficient small-scale growing projects, which will eliminate the need for fish in your diet altogether. Mass soy farming in Argentina means that an estimated 300,000 peasant and indigenous families have been displaced front heir natural habitats, in the last decade alone. Eggplant Crunchburger [Vegan, Gluten-Free], A Whole Foods Vegan Diet: The Ultimate Guide, The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Meats and Meat Substitutes, Want to Eat Plant-Based but Having Digestion Problems? Since soy plantations produce goods purely for export purposes, they also damage local economies. There’s something fishy going on between the soy industry and new fish farming methods, and there is little news coverage of this growing relationship. The Illinois Soybean Association stated that fish farming that will ‘revolutionize sustainable agriculture’, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also support fish farming methods. The fertilizer-contaminated water creates pockets of oxygen-depleted areas known as ‘dead zones’, which cause marine animals to suffocate and die. The soy industry insists that soy is ‘sustainable’, which may be true in comparison to feeding fish their natural diets, which would require more than the world’s fish and other sea life as fish feed, however the other impacts of soy-fed fish have not been explored, and the method cannot be dubbed as sustainable until more is known about the impact feeding soy to fish has on the environment long-term. I have work with many catfish farmers that are smiling to the bank. Together communities can press for and help to draft bills that prohibit federal agencies from allowing fish farming operations to take place in federal waters. Broiler poultry farming business is a very profitable business, and many people are making money all over the world by farming the birds. National food security in South America is compromised by the ‘soybean economy’, which diverts much-needed agricultural capacity to foreign lands. �(�� �F���@5�Ⴡ �`9FB��6r2���R��ƣx�P@T"E�h`l ��ţ�*pT1��#���w Algae is a potentially less environmentally destructive way of meeting human nutritional needs directly that would eliminate the need for soy-fed fish and for fish farming. There is also evidence that consuming soybeans seriously harms fish. You can also demand that U.S. farm policy is changed to stop overproduction of commodity crops like soy, and join ocean-protection organizations and those that are anti-overfishing our seas. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. However, to build a successful, sustainable broiler poultry farming business, you require sufficient knowledge of how to efficiently raise the birds, good management skills, and a good poultry farming business plan. The planet will thank you for it. A registry of agricultural firms undertaken by the government found that 6 soy companies were responsible for enslaving 241 workers. Feel Like You Ate Too Much On Thanksgiving? One of the biggest problems with fish farming is the amount of wild fish needed to feed the farmed ones. The power to stop the fish farming industry and the big businesses involved lies with the consumer. Aquaponics/Hydroponics – Indoor fish farming with greenhouses to grow veggies from fish waste is a viable industry with promise. 3. Together communities can press for and help to draft bills that prohibit federal agencies from allowing fish farming operations to take place in federal waters. You … On soy plantations in Brazil, there have been documented cases of forced labor akin to slavery methods. 13 0 obj << /Length 14 0 R /Filter /LZWDecode >> stream The nitrogen fertilizer carried by the drainage pipes is a major source of nutrient pollution in the Gulf. A decade later, the corporate giant manages several firms which together own 178 animal nutrition factories, and its company Agribrands produces different lines of fish feed today. (We’ll Give You A Hint – You’re Wearing It), This Thanksgiving, Let’s Embrace a Resilient New Tradition, Stark Image Shows What’s Happening to the Oceans Because of Our Sushi Obsession. Eliminate unknown risks by helping to end this industry, and let other people know what they are contributing to and consuming. There’s no doubt that fish farming has negative impacts on our planet’s land, oceans and the animals and communities that inhabit it, but as with other examples of big business, fortune favors the rich. Soy can be indigestible for some fish and consuming it harms their digestive systems over time, and in some cases leads to an inflammation of the lower intestine. The poultry droppings comprises 2% nitrogen, 1.25% phosphoric acid and 0.75% potash. Here’s What Worked for Me, 20 Sweet And Savory Indian Snacks For Your Diwali Celebration, Here’s What You Need to Be Eating for Naturally Clear Skin, 25 Meat-Free Main Dishes for Your Thanksgiving Feast, How Factory Farming Creates Air Pollution, proven negative effects on the environment. The health of the world’s oceans, animals and humans depends on individual consumers eliminating their consumption of fish, as there is simply not enough wild fish available to meet global demand.