The issue of organic seafood is contingent on understanding the
underpinnings of organics. The U.S. government was very clear in stating that organic is
a marketing tool and based on the use of "acceptable" inputs and production
methods. There is no mention of product quality or metrics for establishing or
measuring organic product quality and acceptability. Given this frame of
reference, one can see why in the U.S. at least it will be difficult to certify
wild caught seafood and seafood products since there is no practical way to
certify the "production" (read: rearing in the wild) method that was used to
grow the seafood.
With respect to cultured seafood, there is a strange duality in that land
based animals can be certified organic but cultured seafood is viewed as a
completely different activity. Two of the objection may be based on the rearing
environment and the feed. There is the argument that if seafood is cultured in
lakes, rivers, or the ocean, the aquaculturist is not able to control the
rearing environment. The second potential objection is that if wild caught
seafood products or by-products are included in the diet, that this feed source
cannot be certified as organic.
In my mind, the certification of seafood collides with the biggest
shortcoming of the organic industry, namely, that the product is based on inputs and
production methods with no consideration or standards for product quality. I
know of very few industries that only monitor their production methods and raw
materials and do not have testing standards and methods for evaluating the
end product. How can the government determine acceptable inputs and production
methods without some means for defining end product quality? Until this issue
is resolved, organic seafood (especially wild caught) will be in limbo, at
least in the U.S.
Alan Ismond, P.Eng.
Aqua-Terra Consultants
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