Nutrition Editor Column, International Aquafeed October

By Professor Simon Davies, Nutrition Editor, International Aquafeed

In Plymouth where I mainly reside, we have excellent seafood restaurants and fresh fish and shellfish to enjoy year-round. We are home to a large fish market at the Barbican Marina and are, quite literally, spoilt for choice.

Of course, aquaculture is making its presence. Although wild catch dominates the menus, we see increasingly more farmed seabass, seabream and trout, as well as salmon, being sold. Of course, with strict quotas on bass it’s not surprising, as it’s a very popular species with the consumers and farm reared fish are well accepted.
 

However, a frequently asked question is whether the fish on the menu has been raised intensively and what is the nature of their diets? The public are becoming increasingly more aware of fish welfare concerns and the quality and sourcing of products. These are opportune times to challenge ourselves and retain our focus on sustainability, and we must make our dialogue evidenced-based with examples of good practice. I do wish there was more campaigning on TV with advertisements promoting the health benefits from eating fish, not only from the established view of omega-3 enrichment, but also from the angle of the high and balanced protein in fish and shellfish and essential trace elements like selenium and zinc.

The connection of consuming aquatic organisms, both animals and plants (macroalgae, seaweeds) with human health is well-documented, following many decades of advanced clinical studies. The evidence is most favourable, with regard to the mitigation of Cardiovascular diseases (CHD), certain onsets of dementia, cognitive function and much more. We could do more to increase our fish consumption and, in the UK, there could be more done to educate consumers. As such, I am fortunate to reside near our Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture and intend to meet up with him in the future to discuss aquaculture and the efforts being made globally to expand.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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