Is seafood organic?

According to most accounts, the organic movement was established in response to problems associated with conventional crop agriculture. Shortly after the Second World War the industrialised manufacture and widespread use of agricultural fertilisers, pesticides, and other chemicals had permanently changed the way crops were grown, distributed, and sold to the consumer. In contrast to earlier times, most agriculture became highly specialised, capital intensive and the scale of commercial operations increased dramatically.

In response to these developments, ecologists and consumer groups were learning about the environmental impact and the consequences for human health. A drive for environmental awareness and sustainability during the sixties and seventies revealed many disturbing facts. Among these, it was widely reported that agricultural chemicals were being routinely detected in marine organisms.

For some reason, the problem of the oceans slipped easily from public consciousness. Perhaps this was due to their inaccessibility or the fact that relatively few individuals depended on the sea for the majority of their food resources. It is also true that commercial exploitation of the oceans lagged several decades behind that experienced on the land.

Prior to the seventies, most aquaculture was based on traditional practices and did not impact heavily upon the environment or human health. This changed rapidly with the emergence of new technologies and economic incentives which encouraged intensive farmed production of several fish and shellfish species.

Like the response to land based agriculture, the trend towards organic aquaculture is developing through the cooperation and shared interests of ethical producers and consumers. At the present time, a small quantity of farmed seafood is organically certified. Because the dependence on wild caught seafood is likely to continue, there may be some legitimacy in current arguments to include sustainable harvesting operations within the organic umbrella.

The way forward

Sustainable and organic practices are a relatively new development in ocean-based aquaculture. In order to achieve their provisional organic status, aquatic farms must establish a range of ecologically sound practices which include their commitment to stock welfare, habitat protection, prohibitions on chemical use, and consumer safety. A distinctive characteristic of most organic farms is their scale of operation. By raising smaller quantities of fish, the potential for disease and habitat degradation is significantly decreased. This assists organic sea farmers in maintaining high standards of product quality and also increases their ability to respond quickly to consumer demands and preferences.

At present, most of the organic standards established for aquaculture are preliminary and incomplete. This is well demonstrated by the absence of consensus regarding the sustainability of industry practices with regard to natural resources. The majority of conventional and organically certified salmon farms are dependent on the large-scale harvest of oceanic fish stocks each year. The harvested fish are processed into pellets which still provide the principle feed supply for captive salmon stocks.

Several organic certifiers have commissioned preliminary research to investigate alternative processed feeds as well as opportunities for raising live feed for captive salmon. In the absence of a fully developed standard, the organic certification authorities contribute various elements of their own philosophy. At times this has been frustrating for producers and consumers, but the popularity of organic produce continues to gain strength partly on account of its perceived integrity and dedication to such processes.

Location, reputation and stock management practices

With the interest of promoting themselves in a positive way, several of the larger organic seafood farms have used the internet and other resources to provide consumers with additional information about their organization’s philosophy and stock management procedures. While the information is informative, there appears to be an emphasis on focusing on certain aspects which can effectively differentiate their organic product from others. For example, there are organic fish farms now operating in Malaysia which outline the benefits of their fully enclosed and tightly controlled artificial environments. The farmers of organic salmon situated on the Orkney Islands of Northern Scotland promote the advantages of their own remote location and refer to the regions longstanding reputation for high quality standards and the purity of its natural produce. In Canada, one organic producer has highlighted the fact that their captive fish stocks are based on native species. They claim to have reduced the ecological risk of displacement which can occur whenever introduced fish escape and compete with native stocks for their habitats and food resources.

As the range of organically farmed seafood products continues to increase, the marketing aspect will intensify. This should enable consumers to identify the important product features which motivate their decision to choose organic. 

Pushing the boundaries

While representatives of the farmed seafood sector have slowly increased their status with various organic and food certification authorities, the companies and individuals involved in the harvest of wild stocks have been largely unsuccessful. The appeals for their legitimate inclusion within the organic umbrella have been rejected on several counts. At a fundamental level, the certification bodies have been established to regulate those items which are clearly produced or manufactured with human intervention. Wild seafood stocks captured from oceans, coastal estuaries, and rivers are not generally considered to fall within this category. Secondly, it is very difficult, if not impossible to control the living conditions of species in the wild. Due to repeated failures of legislation and management, most natural habitats are now affected by a range of industrial pollutants, agricultural chemicals, and the disease and ecological imbalances caused by introduced species.

In refusing organic status to wild caught fish, the certification authorities are less convincing when they refer to the depletion of wild stocks as a consequence of commercial fishing activities. When pressed, most of the certification authorities admit their interest in protecting the equity contained in their public identity and reputation among consumers. In effect, the certifiers are sustained by consumers who agree to pay a premium for their organic produce. At the present time there is insufficient motivation to extend the established boundaries which separate organic farmed fish and those harvested from the wild.