Tilapia, Take Two
I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that no one took me task for the blatant species-ism on display in my earlier post on tilapia, in which I slandered the noble Nile perch as repugnant, lowly and inferior to salmon. Talk about invidious distinctions! I bring it up again because this Time story makes clear what I only hinted at before; namely that, viewed through the lens of sustainability, tilapia are a very favorable species indeed, as they lend themselves (so to speak) to being intensively farmed.
Aquaculture, as you may be aware, now supplies an incredible 40 percent of the world's seafood, but the practice has gotten a bad rap for several reasons, most of which should not be applied too generally. That's because, while shrimp farming wreaks havoc on mangrove ecosystems, oyster farming is largely benign and, since oysters are filter feeders, can even improve water quality. Similarly, whereas salmon farming and tuna ranching require boatloads of fish meal (ground up fish) and thus represent a net loss in protein, tilapia, being herbivorous, require no such inputs. All of which is to say, if it comes down to a choice between farm-raised salmon and farm-raised tilapia, ... take the tilapia.
As a final selling point, I have it on good authority that tilapia filets are the perfect choice for fish tacos. Andale pues. Vamos a comer!
Aquaculture, as you may be aware, now supplies an incredible 40 percent of the world's seafood, but the practice has gotten a bad rap for several reasons, most of which should not be applied too generally. That's because, while shrimp farming wreaks havoc on mangrove ecosystems, oyster farming is largely benign and, since oysters are filter feeders, can even improve water quality. Similarly, whereas salmon farming and tuna ranching require boatloads of fish meal (ground up fish) and thus represent a net loss in protein, tilapia, being herbivorous, require no such inputs. All of which is to say, if it comes down to a choice between farm-raised salmon and farm-raised tilapia, ... take the tilapia.
As a final selling point, I have it on good authority that tilapia filets are the perfect choice for fish tacos. Andale pues. Vamos a comer!
8 Comments:
However as will all foods be aware of where the food comes from. Many stores (wal-mart) sell farmed tilapia from China. Ask them for fish from USA Farms.
very good point, jeffrey. There was an issue with farmed fish of chinese provenance being tainted. Now small issue, since, according to one source I find online, 80 percent of tilapia supply is raised in China. I'll have to look deeper at what the issue was, but I seem to recall it was melamine.
Thanks again for flagging that.
Here's what I meant to post:
I believe this is what y'all are thinking of: tainted Chinese flour being mixed into fish food in Canada and sold to U.S. fish farms. Ironically, it's the vegetarian nature of the happy tilapia that made them vulnerable, because no self-respecting salmon would eat flour-based kibble.
Paul, you meant your link to be this,right?
There is another issue and that is the food. I am talking about the the fish pellets that are fed to the farmed salmon and other fish. Of then they are made from smaller fish which can contain high levels of Mercury.
It should also be noted that there is not such thing as Atlantic Salmon. If you buy Atlantic Salmon you are buying Farm Raised Salmon and you should beware.
The only Salmon people should be buying is Alaskan where the fisheries are tightly controlled though perhaps still overfished (like everything else).
jeffrey, I think you mean to say that there are no *commercially available wild* atlantic salmon. That's correct. (The way you phrased it made it sound like Atlantic salmon were some kind of mythical creature, like unicorns.)
As for farmed salmon, mercury is not the problem. Farmed and wild fish exhibit similar levels. Rather, farmed salmon have higher levels of PCBs (a carcinogen) and, in some cases, traces of pesticides.
Your final point: Yes, the Alaskan salmon fishery is touted as among the best managed fisheries in the world.
Now, here's a tip for people who want to eat wild salmon on the cheap: buy it canned. Most canned salmon today is wild Alaskan pink salmon. (Farmed fish doesn't can well.) Add some left over mashed potatoes, an egg, worcesterchire sauce, tabasco and bread crumbs and you've got yourself the makings of a nice salmon cake.
Suit yourself, Pat. A former girlfriend spent a couple summers working in Alaska salmon canneries, and would never touch the stuff.
The same would probably apply to most processed foods, however. Moral: Date wisely.
okay, more for me
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