Towards a trustworthy certificate
The explosively growing business of fish farming has come under heavy criticism. Sustainable solutions are being developed. But much work remains to be done.
Time was when critics of the present overexploitation of the world’s fish stocks thought that fish farming (aquaculture) would be the sustainable alternative. But in the past fifteen years the picture has changed drastically.
As long as fish farms were a small scale family business they seemed alright. But with falling wild stocks and a growing global market demand, the modest fish ponds have boomed into a massive industry.
In fact aquaculture is the fastest growing industrial branch of our time, much of which is taking place in China and South-East Asia. Nowadays almost half of the world’s fish consumption is from aquaculture, and – as with any bioindustry – severe ecological, environmental and animal welfare issues have emerged.
Run-off
Seaward coastal breeding basins have replaced mangrove forests, that under natural conditions serve both as a coastal buffer against flooding and as a nursery for innumerable wild sea life species.
Moreover they pollute their surroundings with run-off from the packed domesticated fish as well as a wide range of pesticides, antibiotics and other veterinary drug residues. Popular farmed fish like Tilapia and Pangasius even get stuffed with growth and other hormones in order to get them tasty enough to be sold.
North American salmon farms were the first to come under scrutiny from green organizations, partly for their chemical run-off, partly because escaping salmon have genetically polluted the wild salmon in surrounding oceans.
Fodder
Some ‘farmed’ fish – especially eel – are in fact wild animals, caught at sea and raised in ponds, simple because they don’t spawn in captivity.
A pressing issue is the contribution if fish farming to overfishing wild stocks. Ever more predator fish species are being bred in captivity, requiring protein rich food, preferably sea food. Krill and ofther small species stocks are already being depleted to provide farms with fishy fish fodder.
Apart from that, a growing awareness of the suffering capacity of fish is fuelling an ever louder animal welfare debate around the crowded living conditions and painful killing methods in fish farms.
ASC criticized
Following the successful ‘sustainability labels‘ from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for timber and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for wild fish, WWF and some big food and aquaculture corporate parties are now launching the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) label for farmed fish.
Setting up feasible criteria for judging and certifying fish farms is not an easy task. Even before the label was a fact interest groups of small ‘community‘ fish farms as well as human rights organizations and local green groups attacked the proposed ASC certification process for being too costly and therefore biased towards big farming corporations, “just like MSC” (see: www.mangroveactionproject.org).
Transparency
WWF spokespeople refute such claims, pointing out that many big market partners, necessary to make ASC a commercial success, support the negotiations towards the final ‘principles’ and criteria and that these round table talks are “fully transparent and open to all stakeholders”.
Furthermore, and contrary to the MSC label, ASC does incorporate environmental and labor conditions criteria. Even animal welfare aspects are being considered, WWF says.
Land based systems
Nevertheless, worldwide aquaculture expert Johan Verreth at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands does admit that traditional small farms may get in trouble if they fail to adapt to the present speedy technological and market developments.
“In the end the future probably lies with ‘closed‘ land based systems, that reuse or clean their own waste and energy”, Verreth expects. Wageningen University is actively developing such high-tech ‘recirculation aquaculture systems’ (RAS), he adds.
Martial Art
Once they were bullets, pistols or grenades. Now under the deft hands of Mozambique’s possibly most famous sculptor Goncalo Mabunda they have been transformed into Art.
Recycling AK-47's and other arms from the one-time civil war has become the trade mark of Mabunda and a couple of his fellow artists. I saw some of the results in a small B&B in Antwerp. But even the British Museum and the Bill Clinton Foundation acquired pieces from the 'Arms into Art' programme. Read more…
Photo: © Michel Robles
High on FSC
Ten years ago the Netherlands were an admired environmental pioneer nation. Nowadays, due to a shortsighted neoliberal policy we are almost tail-end Charley within the European Union. Belgium, on the other hand, is a real runner-up. Last December (2010) the Flemish Leukenheide distillery presented Dennenknopje (Pine Bud). Dennenknopje is the world’s very first jenever (traditionally a truly Dutch strong drink), made from a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) labeled wood product. The gin-like softbooze is distilled from pine cones from the Pinus silvestris. The pines grow in Flanders’ vastest, FSC certified forest region Bosland. A local high from an okay forest. Innovation can be anywhere.…
Questioning Plastiki pride
The newly designed cradle-to-cradle catamaran Plastiki has recently arrived is Sidney after a publicity voyage from California across the Pacific Ocean. The designers claim extreme recyclability. But, contrary to earlier announcements, the ship will not be up-cycled now that it has reached its destination. The builders say they've become too attached to their newborn baby. Of course, the vessel can be a showcase for years to come. But, hey, isn't this kind of attachment of people to their achievements precisely the reason why our earth is becoming such a cluttered place? www.theplastiki.com
Sweet C2C
Cradle-to-cradle handmade beauty: go haunt the town's antique and recycle shops and flea markets for a bunch of elegant (or maybe you prefer funny or modern design) plates, saucers and wine glasses. Wash them well, sand the glasses' brims lightly and glue things together with strong porcelain glue. Any shape, size and design you fancy, will do.
Lo and behold: you have now created your own home grown bonbonnière! For sweets, cookies, fruit - or sandwiches if you like. Ladies love'em! Dozens were sold in a fashion shop in my home town. Enjoy more...
Photos: © Michel Robles
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