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What exactly makes a fish organic? Apparently, one that feeds on a nonorganic diet.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advisory panel says that producers should be allowed to slap organic labels on farmed fish even if their diets include wild fish and other feed that isn’t organic itself—definitions that environmentalists say depart from the criteria for other certified organic animal food products.

The labeling criteria, approved yesterday by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an advisory panel to the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, allows up to a quarter of farmed fish feed to consist of wild fish, though not from endangered species. "There's no time table," for when the agency will take up the recommendations, Joan Shaffer, a spokeswoman for the service, told ScienificAmerican.com today. "We'll review it as soon as we can." 

"Finally, maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of defining what's organic," Wally Stevens, executive director of the Global Aquaculture Alliance, told the Washington Post. "The challenge is to figure out how we can produce a healthy protein product with a proper regard to where the feed comes from."

The rules would also allow farmers to raise the fish in open-net cages, which rankles environmentalists concerned about the spread of sea lice into nearby waterways—a trend that could drive wild salmon to extinction. Critics say open cages also produce pollution.

"To slap an 'organic' label on this fish is deceptive and undermines the entire organic program," said Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst at Consumers Union. "If enacted, this gutting of the organic standards will not only allow sub-par organic fish to be sold with a premium, but will undermine consumer confidence in the entire organic marketplace."

Image of fish farm plant by iStockphoto/Vik Thomas

5 Comments

1. 1. pclark 12:06 AM 11/21/08

   So, where does the non-organic feed come from and why are the standards for fish different than poultry, for example?

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2. 2. nosmokes 12:59 AM 11/21/08

   A farmed fish is not an organic fish. It may meet the technical standards set by industry shills. But we should never lose track of the fact that farmed fish pose a very real threat to escape and contaminate wild fish stocks.

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3. 3. ductileironman 09:37 AM 11/21/08

   What the hell has happened to this world!!! the term "Organic" orignially was meant to refer to compounds which are syntesized by lifeforms, meaning plant, animal, and fungal matter. Using the term "organic" to refer to food that is raised only in environments that include natural surroundings, or settings that mimic nature is a bastardization of the word for political reasons.
   
   As a student of science, the term organic refers to carbon based compounds that almost certainly were originated from life forms. Even petroleum based organic compounds have origins in plant or animal matter.
   
   Such politicization of terms to hijack them into a purpose sickens me more than anything. People's fears are raised when using such terms with the politicized derivation. This is along the lines of using "green" to refer to processes that reduce carbon dioxide, when, in fact, higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere actually increase plant growth. It is silly beyond all belief. Sickening, in fact!
   
   Farmed fish are an unavoidable consequence of the loss of worldwide fish harvests due to overwhelming increases in demand. Bottom line is that as the world population grows, our demands on the biodiverse fish populations will require that fish for consumption come from "artificial" sources, just as our corn, beef, chicken, wheat, and all other crop and livestock foods.
   
   Screaming "its not organic" about any food is just ignorant. We need to quit letting politicians hijack our science and get everyone's education improved.
   
   If we are concerned about biological pests or environmental toxins, that is one problem, we need to stop using terms like "green" and "organic" and really educate people.

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4. 4. c824767 11:49 PM 11/22/08

   more importantly, how much heavy metal toxicity is in these fish

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5. 5. SWW 05:18 PM 1/22/09

   I stopped eating salmon for sometimes now after I found out all these fish farm has done to our environment and our health. One need to find out themselves checkout www dot wildbcsalmon dot ca
   
   
   

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