A spiritual view of fish farming

BY HEATHER BEDSAUL

Since The 1950s, worldwide demand for seafood has more than doubled and is not expected to level off soon. Many health benefits are attributed to eating seafood, and for a while it was considered an almost infinite resource. However, as a result of overfishing and reluctance on the part some fishermen to change their methods in order to support sustainable fish populations, many of the most sought-after species are becoming scarce or endangered.

New practices, such as offshore and closed inland fish farming systems, have developed, but many are inefficient and plagued with problems. One of the primary drawbacks to current inland, closed aquatic systems is the amount of water required, as well as the question of what to do with leftover manure, antibiotics, and other chemicals that are used or produced in the process.

While new technology is supplying some answers for closed inland systems (see "Fish farms clean up," The Christian Science Monitor, February 21, 2010), these unhealthful conditions are exacerbated in "net pen," or open offshore farms, where runoff can pollute surrounding waters, killing wild fish and destroying bottom life. Disease and parasites are also a concern, as they may spread to the wild population. As challenging as the problems may appear to be, we can gain a spiritual perspective that helps support responsible, sustainable aquaculture and also protect the wild populations.

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