New fish farming method provides virtually guilt-free seafood

Recirculating Marine Aquaculture filters and recycles water and uses methane from fish waste to offset energy use.
Read more: FISH, OCEANS

The world’s oceans are running out of fish, and soon we’ll be beyond the point of no return – but human appetite for seafood isn’t going anywhere. That stark fact has led to ambitious efforts to farm fish in an environmentally friendly way instead of relying upon the stock in the sea, including a new system called Recirculating Marine Aquaculture.
 
This way of farming fish on land, developed by the UMBI Center of Marine Biotechnology in Maryland, relies on artificial sea water that is filtered and recycled after use. Methane from fish waste is captured to offset some of the energy required to raise the fish in captivity. Some of the fish that have been raised using the Recirculating Marine Aquaculture method include European seabass, striped bass and blue crabs.
 
"Green fish, as good as it gets”, says Yonathon Zohar, director of the Center of Marine Biotechnology at UMBI. “Clean, environmentally friendly, sushi-quality fish, delivered to the restaurant a few hours after harvesting."
 
The U.N. estimates that 75 to 80 percent of wild fish stocks are either already overfished or getting too close for comfort, and conventional methods of raising fish on land have their own problems. Aquaculture critics point out issues with water pollution from concentrated fish waste, as well as what is often seen as the unnecessary sacrifice of some types of fish to feed the farmed ones.
 
In addition to filtering and reusing the water used to raise the fish, UM researchers are developing new recipes for fish food made from plant material and algae instead of fish meal. Zohar also contends that higher water quality allows a greater concentration of fish per tank without disease or parasite problems, increasing yield.
 
So, how does fish raised this way stack up in terms of taste and texture? Chef Damon R. Hersh of Kali's Court and Mezze restaurants says he was “blown away” after a tour of the facility and a taste test.
 
"I'm very excited," said Hersh. "If this is the direction or wave of future aquaculture, then I'm all behind it."
 


Comments(11)

Sort by:


Corn Abundance to Fish Protein

Feed the fish corn! They are much more efficient at converting grain to protein than cattle of pigs, and the methane fis produce can be trapped, and used as fuel, fuel we sorely need! The "Poop" will serve as a n excellent fertilizer and top-soil builder too! The "Offal" from the harvest can be added to the fertilizer, or all, poop, offal, can be bio-gassed to run cars, or for cooking gas as in India! America is catching up in many ways to the third world efficiencies, and will soon overcome.... More



Corn fed fish? NO!

Feed Corn to Fish?! Corn is not a fish's natural food and corn is also an extremely eco-UNfriendly crop, most of it is GMO, and it consumes water and soil fertility like nobody's business. Corn and soymeal are the reason that eating meat in this country is so unsustainable (try grass-fed on rangeland!). Feeding fish bugs (like maybe the pests from organic farms), like one poster mentioned, is a much better idea.



Where do I sign up?!

I was thrilled to read this article. I confess we barely eat fish any more due to our concerns about over-fishing and unhealthy farming. Where can we purchase fish raised in this much greener environment?



Try to keep your knees under control...

Yes, fish feel pain. Yes, it sucks to be eaten. But you know what? That is nature. Omnivores and carnivores are part of the natural balance. If it's not us, a larger fish or bird or mammal will eat that fish. I can't stand seeing a baby bird get plucked off by a hawk, but it happens. And I'm not going to be angry and righteous at the hawk about it.

This is not to say that the way we are *harvesting* these animals is at all OK. We are too smart for our own good; we found more.... More



There's Nothing Guilt-Free About Eating Animals

I appreciate efforts to go "green." However, if you are taking the life of another being when you don't have to, there's nothing ethical or guilt-free about that. Animals (including fish) feel pain and distress, and they certainly don't want to be eaten.

A vegan diet that also strives to be organic, local, seasonal, etc., is much closer to guilt-free than eating animals will ever be.



Actually, fish don't "want" anything

"Wanting" is a human emotion. Fish don't "want" anything. You're anthropomorphizing them.



---------------------

Actually, animals do have wants, one of the most significant being pain avoidance. If animals (incl humans) didn't have this feature, we'd be doing many activities that could result in injury and possibly death...and that's no way to safeguard the survival of the the species, now is it?

All animals -- incl. fish -- feel pain. Sorry, but I don't consider a fish that experienced oxygen deprivation or a hook in its mouth to be "guilt free"



Feed 'em bugs!

Since we can grow insects very cheaply and in mass amounts, and they are something a carnivorous animal can live on, why don't we start feeding them to the fish? Y'know, like bug meal? Except for the ick factor, we humans could add them to our own diet, and some societies still consider them food and delicacies.



This quote....

from your article: "Green fish, as good as it gets”, says Yonathon Zohar, director of the Center of Marine Biotechnology at UMBI. “Clean, environmentally friendly, sushi-quality fish, delivered to the restaurant a few hours after harvesting." gives me great hope...thank god that innovation is still alive in our world...it gives me optimism for the green future



This is how we're going to have to think....

We're so destructive towards the earth, we have to think smart on every topic...even with this, will there be any fish left in 30 years? in 10 years? now?



what would grescoe say?

i'm definitely curious to read more about this, especially the ways in which the fish waste are managed. i'd also love to see what teras grescoe thinks about this new method!

Add your comment

You can't fool Mother Nature
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

ADVERTISEMENT

FROM OUR SPONSOR

MNN ORIGINALS

Not sure which green way is best? Get answers from our experts.

Is your dog the Green Dog of the Year? Nominate your dog today.

Government data you need to know, in a way you can understand.

Check out eco-photos of the week, top 10 lists and more.

Learn more about everything from acid rain to wildlife.