(Courtesy of Laszlo Ilyes)
There are also environmental problems with fish farms destroying existing habitats in order to build them and the surrounding areas becoming affected by waste contamination. The fish are also given concoctions of chemicals to help reduce disease; this can lead to high levels of contaminants such as PCBs and mercury, up to ten times more than those found in their wild counterparts.
So what is the future for fish farming? Clearly we cannot carry on exploiting our oceans at the rate that we are currently doing so and aquaculture seems to have provided us with a means that could be sustainable. However, in regards to welfare and local environmental effects, regulations need to be enforced. As a consumer, you can voice your support for or against aquaculture by label checking; if you don't see the "Alaska" or Marine Stewardship Council logo, then the chances are, the fish you're buying is farmed.
By Donna Wintersgill Frontier is an international non-profit volunteering NGO. Frontier has over 300 dedicated conservation and community development projects as well as plenty of inspiring www.frontier.ac.uk/Volunteer/Volunteer.aspx?utm_source=TheDodo&utm_medium=gapyearblog&utm_campaign=BlogArticle">gap year ideas to help make your time out meaningful. For more information on all the opportunities available please visit www.frontier.ac.uk. Check out Frontier's blog ‘Into the Wild' where you can read more articles like this! Happy reading!
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