Overcrowded farms, chemicals used to prevent the spread of disease, fish abused and killed in the most brutal ways. Many don't know it but this is the sad reality of how often they come raise salmon, a choice "motivated" by an increasingly growing demand, which has increased exponentially in recent years. During an inquiry into the Scottish salmon industry, released by Compassion in World Farming – international organization for the welfare of farm animals – a worrying truth has emerged: widespread suffering on an industrial scale, violations of animal welfare legislation and significant mortality rates. The organization's studies were carried out between September and November 2020 on 22 farms which showed "severe sea lice infestations and high mortality levels". Also a service of the broadcast "Reservoir Dogs" recently aired revealed shocking truths about intensive salmon farming. Despite this, the most loved freshwater fish in the kitchen continues to end up on our tables, satisfying the desire of billions of people who don't intend to give it up. And why?
Salmon is one of the most loved and sought-after fish, for its soft flesh and tasty flavor but above all for its organoleptic properties. There Norway holds the primacy in production (with 33% of the world market), followed by Chile e Scotland in Europe. Over the years, aquaculture techniques have improved more and more up to the current ones, born in Norway in 1960 and which from Europe have spread to the rest of the world.
Its production has tripled in the last two decades, reaching 82 million tons in 2018. And with the growing demand for products with a high nutritional value linked to the increase in population and consumption, we would not have an adequate supply of fish in the future. The goal is to preserve the animal's health and to have a positive, or at least neutral, impact on the ecosystem. But environmentalists remain skeptical and believe that suffering is still too great for this extraordinary fish.
Breeding techniques some salmon
First, the salmon eggs are hatched in fresh water tanks and at about 12-18 months of age the smolts are transferred to floating cages in the middle of the sea according to the offshore technique, or in tanks created near the coast but on land, according to inshore technique. The cages are generally circular or square in shape with a variable diameter (between 10 and 30 meters and about 10 meters deep). A cage can hold up to 90 thousand specimens, with a density of up to 18 kg per cubic metre. Salmon are carnivores and therefore are fed with natural foods (other fish) or artificial foods (feed with a high concentration of proteins) and fished after about 12-24 months of farming when they are grown enough. Depending on the type of marketing, salmon can be frozen or gutted, to facilitate transport and avoid any risk of infection. For this reason it is advisable to consume them as soon as possible and not to freeze them a second time. Preventive freezing takes place for two main reasons: first of all to avoid the anisakis risk (parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract), but also to make fish keep longer.
Doubts about health some salmon
But what are the doubts about the wholesomeness of farmed salmon? Most of this fish that arrives in our markets is farmed, generally of Norwegian, Scottish or Chilean origin and with the different treatments the salmon will have lost many of its organoleptic properties. But there are other doubts about it:
- Diseases and parasites: overcrowding in farms creates the ideal conditions to favor the spread of diseases and parasites. For example Gyrodactylus, discovered in 1972 in Swedish farmed salmon, or ISAv, a species of anemia that attacked Norwegian farmed salmon more than 30 years ago. These are diseases that can be kept under control in salmon in the open sea, but with very high densities they can become much more serious cases until they explode into real epidemics. Often, antibiotics and chemical substances are used to prevent the spread of certain pathogens, which are harmful to both their and our health.
- Pollution and toxins: the positioning of breeding cages must take place in uncontaminated places, far from sources of pollution. For this reason, salmon from areas such as Scotland and Norway are preferred, even if the risk is higher in farmed than in wild salmon. Also, the presence of PCB is undoubtedly alarming, or carcinogenic chemical substances whose danger depends on the level accumulated in the body.
- Genetically modified salmon: some species of salmon undergo this treatment in the laboratory to favor their growth, but they can be avoided if the label bears the wording GM. In addition, the substances used to make the color of meat redder and, consequently, more palatable in the eyes of consumers have a huge environmental impact on ecosystems.
- Type of power supply: one of the problems of the sector also concerns the enormous quantity of wild fish used in farms as feed. For example in Scotland approx 18 million tons a year to produce fishmeal and fish oil. This problem especially affects fishermen in developing countries, who see their stocks depleted to feed the overconsumption of salmon in the Western world. It would be preferable to choose salmon that have not been fed by humans, but which feed only on sardines, herring or other fish. Furthermore, it very often happens that in hyperintensive farms the salmon are fed with feed derived from chicken or pork meat, rich in proteins, thus causing a depletion of Omega 3 and antioxidants.
Solutions and alternatives
Therefore, the doubts about the wholesomeness of farmed salmon are increasingly alarming. To solve the problem from both a healthy and an ethical and moral point of view, in the last period there has been more and more talk of sustainable diet for carnivorous fish. In this sense, the salmon feed industry has evolved from flours and oils to a more plant-based and sustainable diet, with the introduction of nutritious ingredients derived from algae and insects as an alternative protein source, a natural food of fish species . For example, the feed used in Norwegian salmon farms is completely free of GMOs and antibiotics while the marine ingredients come from certified and strictly controlled sources. Obviously evolution aims at environmental sustainabilitybut is also motivated by a great savings.
One of the possible solutions, according to Roberto Cerri (marine biologist and PhD student at the University of Udine, expert in aquaculture and fish nutrition) is breed multiple species on the same site. In this way, more would be produced and in a sustainable way: the waste of one species would become feed for another. As regards the excessive use of antibiotics and pesticides, efforts are being made to integrate nutraceuticals, plant extracts, prebiotics and probiotics into the salmon diet, capable of promoting an increase in the fish's immune response.
Another alternative would be the vaccination, as in Norway, UK, Ireland and Canada it has reduced the use of antibiotics by 95%. Or, there are biological control methods, such as adding cleaner fish to farm cages. This feeds on the parasites by limiting their spread and reducing the use of anti-lice chemical agents.
Nutritional properties and uses in the kitchen
With soft and tasty meat and a delicate flavour, salmon is one of the most farmed fish in the world. Especially if eaten fresh, salmon is rich in nutritional properties thanks to a significant contribution of vitamins (A, B, D) mineral salts (phosphorus, potassium and selenium), proteins and calories. One of the main sources of fatty acids Omega 3 (DHA + EPA), polyunsaturated fats and carotenoid, the antioxidant that colors its meat red. Regular consumption helps keep weight under control, giving a sense of satiety.
It can be a valuable aid in the fight againstinflammation, reduces the risk of heart attack, cardiovascular and coronary diseases, thins the blood, contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure, lowers the risk of stroke and has an antiarrhythmic effect on the heart. This species also offers many benefits to brain, bones and joints in general, helping to prevent osteoporosis. It also helps keep the skin supple and glowing, great antioxidant, reduces the effects of free radicals against aging. In terms of eyesight, regular consumption can reduce the risk of glaucoma and high blood pressure in the eyes.
Especially loved for its versatility in the kitchen and because it lends itself well to any type of cooking: pan-fried, steamed, roasted, baked, grilled, grilled, smoked or eaten raw as sushi e sashimi. It can be eaten for lunch and dinner, but also for breakfast or as a quick and nutritious snack.
Objectively, breeding has made a product more accessible which until recently was considered real luxury. While considering this advantage, it is always better to choose high quality specimens, safe and from sustainable fishing, even better if organically. At an industrial level, we are failing to protect these animals, and this condition must necessarily change, hoping for a more sustainable future capable of respecting the life of salmon.10
