Farm-Raised Fish

Farm-raised fish contain approximately three times the omega-6 fatty acids of wild-caught fish. The nutritional and safety problems of farmed fish apply universally to all species, not only to tilapia and catfish. Farm-raised salmon contains up to 16 times the concentration of PCBs compared to wild-caught salmon. Farm-raised fish are fed grain, corn, and soybean-based pellets instead of their natural diet of algae, seaweed, and small plankton. Farm-raised salmon flesh turns pale gray from inactivity, and producers add synthetic pigment pellets to restore color. Farm-raised fish accumulate high levels of PCBs, which are highly toxic industrial pollutants that persist in the food chain. The severely imbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in farm-raised fish promotes chronic inflammation. The grain-based diet of farm-raised fish increases omega-6 and reduces omega-3 content in their flesh, largely defeating the nutritional purpose of eating fish. Confined farm conditions stress fish, causing widespread illness that requires heavy antibiotic use. Antibiotics may be added to farm-raised fish feed depending on the geographic region of farming. Farm-raised fish are fed a diet composed large…