Farmed Fish

Member Joined: Dec 02, 2005 Posts: 92 Location: Dorset

Very interesting debate on Gill nets.

What do people think of famed fish has this helped fish stocks or made things worse

I see lots of farmed Bass, Bream, Salmon, Trout etc in the supermarket/fish mongers has this helped reduce demand for wild fish

But don't they feed the fish in the farms on fish meal, millions of sandeels caught to feed the farms

Any thoughts

Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:14 pm

Hi ray the ray,

I had a similar conversation with a friend the other week about this and we came to the conclusion that at least its a start in growing the wild stock back up.

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 12:23 pm

Howdo, I feel it really is a double edged sword. It's great yes, that it does take pressure off already stretched fish stocks. But as with any venture that has the driving force of money rather than the welfare of our stocks, it's bound to have wider implications. You've mentioned 1, the use of bait fish for feeding the farmed fish. They certainly won't be farmed, and the mass removal of the food source from wild fish will surely reduce the numbers swimming in our ocean.

Secondly, something they have found from studying farmed salmon in scotland. Having that many fish in such a confined space is an open invitation of disease and parasitation. Easily treated in a farm pen, but the surrounding wild fish get clobbered and carry massive levels of infection. This seriously must affect their breeding success rate.

Then there's the chemicals that they dose these fish with habitually. It seems that every chemical ever thought of has the capacity to change male fish into female fish (kind of like Eddie Izzard). Not a problem for fish being served up for supper in 3 months, but a real problem for viable fish stocks.

And not forgetting the old genetically modified fish.... Bigger profits demand bigger fish that grow faster, so new varieties are 'developed'. They invariably escape and will contaminate wild stocks. Excellent, Bass records will go through the roof. But will these fish have the same reproductive capability? If reproductive success falls, then we can kiss our wild stocks goodbye for ever.

Strewth, maybe their not so good after all. Didn't mean to get on my soap box, and at the end of the day I could also be talking a right old load of tripe.

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:40 pm

So Fosma, have you talked yourself out of the idea that it's a good idea yet? big grin

But seriously, I know what you mean - I have the same doubts about the conscientiousness of developments caused by the profit motive myself...

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:29 pm

Howdo Tim,

Did paint it in a rather dim light, didn't I. Truth is, I can see solutions to many of those problems, like using wrasse to keep lice populations under control without the use of chemicals.

Unfortunately, I have no faith in human nature to adopt such measures if it cuts into a businesses profit margin. And as stocks recover, there will always be someone out there with a big net who will scour the ocean to within an inch of its life to turn a quick profit. But as stated previously, it's a start and a step in the right direction. A recognition that fish stocks cannot be maintained with current practices can only be a good thing.

But are fish farms the answer, haven't a clue. I just feel the sea is big enough to keep everyone happy and full of fish fingers if it was managed better and detrimental practices such as gill netting stopped. Totally agree with the education bit and eating other species, maybe get Jamie Oliver on the case after what he did for school dinners.

I must really sound like a bearded, unwashed tree hugger, but really I'm off work ill with 'man-flu' so the world is a dark and evil place today.

Member Joined: Dec 02, 2005 Posts: 92 Location: Dorset

Looks like I started something here ho ho.

I think overall they are probably a positive thing Fish Farms (but aware of all the downsides above) , early days on the sea fish side but Salmon and Trout have been farmed for a while, don't know if this had any effect on the pressure to catch all the wild salmon available.

Surely if they are farming Bass and Bream (and other fish I don't know about) this will take the pressure off the wild stocks eventually, supply and demand and all that. Perhaps given a few years it won't be worth trying to catch the wild stuff and we will have them all to ourselves. Dreaming again!!

RaytheRay

Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:33 pm

Hi Raytheray,
Gotta dream.....
And even the salmon anglers practice catch and release nowadays. Anything that reduces pressure on wild fish stocks has got to be a good thing. Think it will always end up as a compromise.

Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:37 am

On a positive note, at least we'd not get stuck behind tractors from the farms big grin

O and Fosma, you shouldn't tell other blokes you have "man-flu" - remember that's what we let the ladies think when they're comparing our illnesses to childbirth/PMT/shopping at Sainsbury's/leg-waxing etc. etc.

The world IS a dark and evil place...
TIm

Guest

Well guys its quite simple if it hadnt of been for fish farming the Salmon and Trout industry and the Local Sporting side of it would not exist.
However tighter controls need to be made on it as so many are escaping and ruining the natural cycle of the local fish.The pesticides that are used are too strong and pollute the water much further away. The local economy benefits so long as the natural balance is kept otherwise we will all be dangling our lines in large fish pens. :cry:
And I dont think we want that :roll: