Organic aquaculture is a holistic method for farming fish and other marine species in line with organic principles. The ideals of this practice established sustainable marine environments with consideration for naturally occurring ecosystems, use of pesticides, and the treatment of aquatic life. Managing aquaculture organically has become more popular since consumers are concerned about the harmful impacts of aquaculture on themselves and the environment. The availability of certified organic aquaculture products have become more widely available since the mid-1990s. This seafood growing method has become popular in Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, but consumers can be confused or skeptical about the label due to conflicting and misleading standards around the world. A certified organic product seal on aquaculture products will mean an accredited certifying body has verified that the production methods meet or exceed a country's standard for organic aquaculture production. Organic regulations designed around soil-based systems don't transfer well into aquaculture and tend to conflict with large-scale, intensive (economically viable) practices/goals. There are a number of problems facing organic aquaculture: difficulty of sourcing and certifying organic juveniles (hatchery or sustainable wild stock); 35-40% higher feed cost; more labour-intensive; time and cost of the certification process; a higher risk of diseases, and uncertain benefits. But, there is a definite consumer demand for organic seafood, and organic aquaculture may become a significant management option with continued research.
Certification A number of countries have created their own national standards and certifying bodies for organic aquaculture. While there is not simply one international organic aquaculture standardization process, one of the largest certification organizations is the Global Trust, which delivers assessments and certifications to match the highest quality organic aquaculture standards. The information regarding these standards is available through a personal inquiry. Many organic aquaculture certifications address a variety of issues including antibiotic and chemical treatments of fish, unrestrained disposal of fish feces into the ocean, fish feeding materials, the habitat of where and how the fish are raised, and proper handling practices including slaughter. Most Organic Aquaculture certifications follow rather strict requirements and standards. These rules may vary between different countries or certification bodies. This leads to confusion when products are imported from other countries, which can result in a backlash from consumers (for example, the Pure Salmon Campaign Archived 2010-11-01 at the Wayback Machine ). Defining acceptable practices is also complicated by the variety of species - freshwater, saltwater, shellfish, finfish, mollusks and aquatic plants. The difficulty of screening pollutants out of an aquatic medium, controlling the food supplies and of keeping track of individual fish may mean that fish and shellfish stocks should not be classified as 'livestock' at all under regulations. This point further exemplifies the need for widespread aquaculture certification standard.
Challenges and Controversy
Wild caught vs. organic There is some controversy over licensing restrictions, as some seafood companies propose that wild caught fish should be classified as organic. While wild fish may be free of pesticides and unsustainable rearing practices, the fishing industry may not necessarily be environmentally sustainable. In October 2001, the National Organic Standards Board of the USDA decided that ‘aquatic animals’ (i.e. fish and shellfish) cannot be organic since animals survive in contaminated water, and the food they eat lacks protection from a polluted environment. Farmed fish also are at some risk for pollution exposure since they also may eat wild fish for food but, relative to the wild fish, farmed fish are more likely to be given the "organic" label. The official definitions of organic and organic practices refer to ecological processes and the USDA on organic matter finally defined the organic production as a production system which is managed.
Consistent standards In 2010, around 80 different organic aquaculture standards exist, of which there are 18 in the countries of the European Union. The variation in standards, as well as the unknown level of actual compliance and the closeness of investigations when certifying are major problems in consistent organic certification. In 2010, new rules were proposed in the European Union to consistently define the organic aquaculture industry. Canada's General Standards Board's (CGSB) proposed updates to their standards were strongly opposed in 2010 because they allowed antibiotic and chemical treatments of fish, up to 30 percent non-organic feed, deadly and uncontrolled impacts on wild species and unrestrained disposal of fish feces into the ocean. These standards would have certified net pen systems as organic. At the other end of the scale, the extremely strict national legislation in Denmark has made it difficult for the existing organic trout industry to develop.
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