UK's Aquaculture Receives Organic Status

The Soil Association announced that aquaculture has been awarded full organic status. The most important accreditation body of Britain was holding back from giving fish farming 100 % support for the past eight years in an effort to approach this complex new area.

An intensive three year research and development allows changing the status from “interim” to “full”. The new standards of the Soil Association show carefully targeted key improvements.

The Scottish director of the Soil Association Hugh Raven stated in a press release that it would have been a neglect of duty to ignore this important food sector; especially because this brings the possibility to reduce unsustainable exploitation of wild fisheries. Fish farming has been highly controversial, like any system which puts profits before principles. But the fish farmers receiving full certification have been producing top-quality organic fish for the past years. For the consumer, certified organic salmon and trout is a good choice. These products allow smaller-scale, locally-based producers to earn their living whilst respecting the environment.

85 % of Scottish salmon farming is controlled by Norwegian multinational companies; the majority of the remaining independent and small-scale producers have become organic growers, including some in Shetland. Balta Island Seafare’s salmon in Shetland won the best overall food award at the International Food and Drink Expo this year.

Soil Association organic feeds use exclusively fishmeal and, where possible, fish oil made from the filleting waste products of fish already caught for human consumption. By recycling these wastes there is no direct pressure on wild fish stocks to feed organic fish. The Soil Association has established a unique partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council, Aquascot - the sustainable seafood company - and Waitrose to ensure that by 2010 all fishmeal and oil used in Soil Association-certified diets is produced from waste products of fisheries independently certified by the MSC as sustainable.

Organic fish farms have very low stocking densities - typically half the level of non-organic producers. The Soil Association is satisfied that being held at these densities in their natural environment optimises the health and well being of the fish. Utilising waste nutrients as a resource is a central part of organic principles, and the Soil Association is keen to establish the widespread use of multi-species farming currently being tested at an organic salmon farm on the Western Isles. By combining the culture (in this case) of fish, shellfish and seaweeds, significant amounts of the fish wastes can be absorbed. The farm can produce economically viable secondary crops and the environmental impact can be further reduced. (more information: www.soilassociation.org)

Bruce Sandison, chairman of the Salmon Farm Protest Group, critizes this move of the Soil Association. According to him, there is nothing natural about salmon farming, the process of farming is artificial from start to finish. He also states that the weight of a farmed fish is much higher than of a wild salmon; plus the wild one has the advantage of still living in the river where it was born. He finds it sad that the Soil Association has allowed itself to be drawn into the dark water of salmon farming. The public might be persuaded that organic farmed salmon will somehow mitigate the disastrous impact that this business is having upon Scotland's environment and its wild salmon.

The Salmon Farm Protest Group states that it is active to protect the marine and freshwater environment from fish disease and pollution. It does not see its duty to oppose fish farming, but to preserve the species that depend upon unpolluted coastal and inland waters and the jobs of people relying upon that. (more information:

http://www.salmonfarmmonitor.org)