• Most finfish are fed on fishmeal protein and fishmeal protein is a finite resource, however, fishmeal protein is made up of fish that humans do not eat. For example fish such as sandeel, blue whiting and scad. Also off cuts of fish processing also goes to fishmeal protein, in particular herring off cuts and fish offal. There is exploitation of stocks by first world countries, for fish meal, in third world waters which is totally wrong.
• If fishmeal protein did not go to fish farming, and not all of it does, the meal would be fed to other animals such as cow, pigs and poultry. Fishmeal protein is also used as fertilizer.
• It does take more than one ton of fishmeal protein to convert into one ton of live famed fish but fish convert better than mammals as they do not expend energy keeping warm.
• We must also look at ourselves, as sea anglers, when it comes to converting one fish into another. How many mackerel do we all use as bait to catch a fish? How many squid, sandeels etc. Think about it.
• To grow a cow in a field you need about 1 acre. Finfish are much more space efficient in terms of culture and are generally grown at densities of less than 10kg per cubic meter. Even shellfish are more efficient than cows, sheep or pigs.
• I am 90% sure that last year the world production of cultured fish exceeded the catch of wild fish for the first time. Some will say that this is to do with the decline in wild fish but wild fish catches worldwide remain fairly stable due to opening up of new fisheries. I am sure though that this will change as more and more stocks become over exploited.
• Commercial fishing is becoming less and less sustainable as stock decrease, costs rise and the unmonitored damage they do becomes recognised. Fishing is also a form of hunting and we are going to have to farm the sea as we farm the land if we want to maintain food supplies from our waters. I do stress that this must be done in an ecologically sound way.
• In Ireland our farmed fish produce gets the best prices over other similar products in Europe. You cannot buy Irish farmed salmon here in Irish shops. It all goes abroad for better prices. The salmon you see in shops here is Scottish fish.
• On salmon farming these farms are monitored regularly and unannounced by the Dept of Marine, Marine Institute and fisheries boards as well as monitoring themselves using accredited scientists. They are monitored for lice, chemical residues, diseases and environmental parameters. The organic certification that some of them have adds another dimension in monitoring and yet they are still here.
• If salmon farms are to blame for seatrout decline why has there been no court case causing them to close or at least pay restitution to the tourism/angling industry?
• As for Jobs in rural Ireland (northwest, west and southwest) while there may not be many direct jobs that are far more indirect jobs. For example packing and processing, transportation, marketing, monitoring, sales, equipment hire etc. Tourism, angling, fishing etc have never been 12 month a year job makers in these areas and I think never will. Even 10 full time jobs can sustain families and keep villages alive.
• In Europe we are now farming, Bass, Bream (3 species), Halibut, Turbot, Sole, Cod, Pollack, Salmon, Trout, wolfish, haddock, grouper, tuna and Octopus. All these are in the marine only. There are trials ongoing with different fish such as Hake. Freshwater fish and shellfish I will not even mention
I think fish farming is here to stay and for those of you now fuming I will say it again. FISHFARMING MUST BE IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY AND IT MUST ALSO BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. I, for one, welcome fish farming over uncontrolled commercial fishing any day.
I will leave the last word in this contribution to one of the worlds best known marine conservationist
“With earth's burgeoning human populations to feed we must turn to the sea with new understanding and new technology. We need to farm it as we farm the land."
JACQUES COUSTEAU, 1973
Now, form an orderly queue please, and go easy on me………..
