Farmed salmon, Waitrose, sophable and her dh

[Heathcliffscathy]

I don't know how many of you were following the live webchat yesterday. Mrsophable has been following with increasing distress the catastrophe that is unfolding (ever faster) in our oceans since I've known him (12 years now).

The issue of farmed salmon is one of a number of areas that he has been concerned about for years. I've been listening to this for a long time.

So when he couldn't make the webchat yesterday due to work, I rolled my sleeves up and tried my best to ask the questions and make the points that I felt he would have specifically with regard to farmed salmon (as that is the one that I have most concern about because of ds and therefore know the most about).

I felt a bit dissatisfied with the response from Quentin the Waitrose chief fish buyer, whilst acknowledging that credit is due to Waitrose for at least engaging with this crucial debate.

I'd really appreciate you all reading the post the MrSophable took the trouble to write late last night:

[MiniMarmite]

I did a bit more research and the crayfish are from China

[MrSophable]

I have been unduly busy with my day job so have not yet drafted the list of further questions I want to put to Quentin and his team.

On the subject of prawns I think if anything prawn farms raise even more worrying questions than salmon farms do - the sustainability of the food, chemcials and anti biotics, destruction of mangroves, and undesirale social and health impacts on coastal communities. meanwhile most -but not all- wild prawn fisheries have unbelievably high levels of bycatch (i.e untargetted fish which are thrown back into the sea, mostly dead...).

its all a bit depressing...but there is hope and we can change things- better labelling of seafood so we can make the right choices, and perhaps the simplest and most effective measure- creating marine reserves.
meanwhile the best thing is to use online guides to help you buy :

here

and here

[brokenspacebar]

I would like to know more about non fish alternatives too, I saw this on a website someone linked to...

"All of the nutrients, vitamins and oils contained in fish can be found in other food stuffs. For example, high levels of omega oils can also be found in walnuts and walnut, linseed and flax oil, all of which are available from supermarkets and health food stores."

[MiniMarmite]

Thanks MrS, will take a look at those - I think the shrimps must be the actual Norfolk ones (think I will check with the supplier though) but I started having my doubts about the crayfish when I remembered that it is illegal to sell the UK resident American Signal Crayfish (and the indigenous species is endangered).

[EachPeachPearMum]

COuld I ask about fish oil capsules?
How is the oil from these sourced? Are there any brands/types to be avoided? Would the contaminants in fish be also in fish oil capsules?
Thanks MrS

[MrSophable]

I know that you can get fish oil capsules made from sardines which will have all the omega 3 you need , and there are sustainable sardine fisheries. Equazen capsules seem to be a potential answer.

The little I know about omega 3's sourced from plants is that they are different to the Omega 3's found in oily fish....but that plant sourced Omega 3 is processed by our bodies into the fish-based ones...

its explained a bit better here

[MrSophable]

China produces a lot of farmed crayfish...i don't know whether crayfish farms cause the same problems prawn farms are creating around the world. as a fresh water operation it should be possible to have closed containment so the environmental impact is mitigated, but disease and sustainability of food supply would still be an issue.

[filchthemildmanneredjanitor]

i'm glad i don't like fish

[EachPeachPearMum]

Thank you! That was a very speedy response
I shall have to read it at a more civilised hour though...

[MiniMarmite]

and transporting it from China to UK.

I just want to eat local, sustainable fish...seems so difficult to do that these days...very frustrating because I'm absolutely convinced that it could be possible.

[MiniMarmite]

I should go to bed. Night all!