U.K. environmental charity WildFish recently stepped up efforts on its “Off the table” campaign, with more than 120 global chefs now pledging to take salmon farmed in the ocean off their menus.
“Salmon was once cooked seasonally. Wild salmon returned from the sea to rivers in such numbers that the water seemed alive with them. Yet, since the 1970s, many wild salmon populations have collapsed by 80 percent or more. Wild Atlantic salmon in particular could disappear in our lifetime,” participating chefs wrote in an open letter aiming to persuade more restaurant industry professionals to stop sourcing farmed Atlantic salmon.
Off the table contends that almost all Atlantic salmon served in restaurants and supermarkets are raised in industrial sea cages, often in the same waters wild salmon must pass through to survive.
“Because these crowded cages are open, they pollute surrounding waters. Waste does not stay contained nor do sea lice parasites, disease, or chemical treatments,” the chefs wrote, further arguing that when nets break, farmed fish escape and breed with wild salmon, weakening the genetic inheritance they depend on to survive. “The impact extends beyond the cages. Feeding one ocean-farmed salmon requires hundreds of ground-up wild fish that marine life and subsistence communities depend on. [The color of the fish is] engineered to match the pink we expect, and it is often marketed with unjustified claims of sustainability.”
Chefs participating in the campaign hail from the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and beyond. WildFish said it has 200 venues across the U.K. signed up to the campaign and more than 200 other international supporters.
Aquaculture stakeholders have pushed back against the campaign, calling it misleading and claiming it places unfair blame on the sector.
“Unfortunately, the activists seem to be saying that consumers should be choosing wild salmon, which due to overfishing, climate change, and habitat destruction may be threatened or endangered,” Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) President and CEO Timothy Kennedy told SeafoodSource. “Salmon farming has become a scapegoat for these bigger issues, and we receive unfair blame.”
Kennedy said that many campaigns against salmon farming refuse to acknowledge the significant improvements made in farming practices over the last 20 years.
"Comparing salmon farming today to what existed in the early 2000s is like comparing a flip phone with a modern I-phone. However, it does not benefit activists to recognize positive change as they look to perpetuate campaigns and confusion,” he said.
The chefs who signed the letter “appear to be implicating themselves in deceptive consumer marketing practices promoting false and misleading information,” Cooke Vice President of Public Relations Joel Richardson added. “Consumers and regulators see through it, and demand for salmon and other farmed finfish, shellfish, and seaweeds continues to grow steadily worldwide.”
Kennedy stressed the importance of aquaculture in Canada in particular, especially at a time of high food costs and a nationwide push to produce more food domestically.
"We need more seafood farming, not less. The efforts of activists are undermining Canada’s ability to feed its people,” he said. “Consumers want salmon. It is among the favorite seafood dishes, it is high quality, and they would like it reasonably priced. A stable, sustainable, and affordable food source is what salmon farming can provide.”
To that end, Kennedy said CAIA continues to work with partners on providing information that tells the accurate story of today’s salmon-farming operations.
“Canada has such a tremendous opportunity to grow salmon and other species of fish and shellfish to provide a nutritious, year-round, secure supply of food,” Kennedy said.
As the industry continues to evolve, Kennedy said it can grow in tandem with efforts to protect wild species.
“It’s not either or. It’s both farmed and wild salmon together for the future,” he said.
