Comments on: Controversy Over Proposed Massive Ahi Farming Oceanspheres http://www.bigislandbuzz.com/2009/11/controversy-over-proposed-massive-ahi-farming-oceanspheres/ Hawaii News, Surf Reports, Live Entertainment and More Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:12:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Bill Spencer http://www.bigislandbuzz.com/2009/11/controversy-over-proposed-massive-ahi-farming-oceanspheres/comment-page-1/#comment-257 Bill Spencer Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:23 +0000 http://www.bigislandbuzz.com/?p=1271#comment-257 One of the most persistent myths about aquaculture perpetuated by people like Parsons is that fish farming is less efficient than traditional fishing. "Pelleted diets have a nutritional profile designed for a given species. Cultured fish do not spend energy hunting for food. Feed pellets are bite-sized to minimize waste in feeding. Fish production increases exponentially when high order consumers (tuna) are farmed using lower level baitfish. The fact is that the judicious use of baitfish in farmed fish feeds is a far more sustainable way to produce seafood than the harvest of high-value marine fish from already declining fisheries. Bycatch and non-target fish that are thrown over the side dead or dying and the practice of high-grading, discarding smaller individuals of the target species so that the boat can return with only the largest, most valuable fish raise the cost of fishing to 1 million tons of fish discarded for every 3.7 million tons produced." - Seafood for the Future By the way, Parsons does not reaveal in his editorial that he is a paid consultant to Food and Water Watch, a DC lobby firm that has been attacking open ocean aquaculture in Hawaii during the last year. One of the most persistent myths about aquaculture perpetuated by people like Parsons is that fish farming is less efficient than traditional fishing. “Pelleted diets have a nutritional profile designed for a given species. Cultured fish do not spend energy hunting for food. Feed pellets are bite-sized to minimize waste in feeding. Fish production increases exponentially when high order consumers (tuna) are farmed using lower level baitfish. The fact is that the judicious use of baitfish in farmed fish feeds is a far more sustainable way to produce seafood than the harvest of high-value marine fish from already declining fisheries. Bycatch and non-target fish that are thrown over the side dead or dying and the practice of high-grading, discarding smaller individuals of the target species so that the boat can return with only the largest, most valuable fish raise the cost of fishing to 1 million tons of fish discarded for every 3.7 million tons produced.” – Seafood for the Future

By the way, Parsons does not reaveal in his editorial that he is a paid consultant to Food and Water Watch, a DC lobby firm that has been attacking open ocean aquaculture in Hawaii during the last year.

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