Organic Fish

November 23rd, 2006 | Category: Organic Food and Wine

Not surprisingly, fish taken from the wild cannot be labelled as organic as there is no control over the habitat of the fish and what they eat. Fish from certain regions will, naturally, be subjected to less pollution and contaminants than others but only farmed fish can be called organic.

Why buy organic farmed fish instead of wild fish?

There is no control over pollution levels in the waters where wild fish is found.
There is a growing world wide problem of over fishing, resulting in endangered and extinct species whereas organic farmed fish is produced in a sustainable manner.

Why buy organic farmed fish instead of conventionally farmed fish?

No pesticides.
No dyes.
No antibiotics.
No genetically modified organisms.
Lower stocking densities.
Better water quality.
Fish are fed certified organic feed.

Conventional fish farms are often criticised due to their use of pesticides, dyes, and antibiotics as well as overstocking the farms leading to water pollution from fish waste and uneaten food.

Organic fish farms can also be criticised as the fish are not living in a ‘natural’ environment. There is also the question of the organic feed. How is it produced and is it what the fish would eat in their natural environment?

Whether organic or not, there is still the risk of disease and pollution by having so many fish of the same species in the one small area.

Organic Perch

Australia’s first certified organic fish farm sells organic silver perch under the Soulfish brand. This is available in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and in other parts of NSW or you can buy direct from Soulfish at wholesale prices.

There are very few certified organic fish farms in Australia at the moment although that number is expected to rise in the coming years as the demand for pesticide and chemical free fish increases.