THE ROMANS CONQUERED THE ANDALUSIA REGION of southern Spain two centuries before the birth of Christ. They thrived on its fertile lands, rivers and valleys. At its peak, Rome had 20,000 citizens, while at its peak, the city of Cordova in Andalusia, had over 500,000 citizens and was the largest city in Europe flourishing from the fruits of the land.
But what do the Romans have to do with fish?
The Roman Empire fell in part because of environmental degradation, deforestation, desertification, erosion, and salinization of lands from poorly designed irrigation methods. Today, Western civilization may decline because we are overfishing the rich ocean—our “fish basket”—polluting the oceans, contaminating most wild fish with mercury from coal burning power plants, and destroying coastlines with over packed, waste-producing, pesticide- and antibiotic-using fish farms.
My recent article in The Huffington Post, Fish: Wild or Farmed?, was my attempt to grapple with the questions of how we preserve the oceans, maintain wild fish stocks, eat fish that doesn’t poison us with mercury or find “sustainably” raised fish. The blog generated violent opposition and comment. However, the all or nothing thinking of “farmed bad,” “wild good,” often encouraged by environmental groups may just have found its match.
I asked a simple question for which I had no answer at the time. If we all agree that feedlot fish is bad for the environment, and us, then we must ask, what is the equivalent of grass fed fish? Is there a way of producing fish that comes as a byproduct of restoring ecosystems, of regenerative practices that require not 10 to 20 pounds of small wild fish (ground into fish pellets) to produce one pound of the fleshy fish we humans so love to consume?
Now, back to southern Spain.
I recently visited Seville and Cordova, near the most extraordinary fish farm. Well, it was not exactly a fish farm. It was a bird sanctuary, thriving wetlands, and a phytoplankton and algae farm. Fish was a by-product, just as cows, chickens, lamb and pigs are by-products of grass farms. Luis Contreras began working at the farm seven years ago and helped transform this fish farm from an abandoned beef feedlot into a thriving oasis for healthy fish. He shared the details of his farm with me over a glass of Spanish Rioja and a meal of sweet, moist, delicately textured grilled sea bream and gray mullet harvested that morning from his “phytoplankton farm”.
Some may wonder where we can find similar lands available to re-create this amazing ecosystem. No question it will require a radical rethinking of what’s possible. But it can be done …
Farming “Grass Fed” Fish
Veta la Palma, initially started in 1994, is now a thriving 8000 acre wetland estuary ecosystem in a national park that happens to produce 2000 tons of delicious, omega-3 rich, toxin free sea bass, sea bream, shrimp, eel, and sturgeon a year. It is actually a restored wetlands, and the largest bird sanctuary in Spain with over 220 species of birds— pink flamingo fly one hundred and fifty miles each way to feast on the high quality fish this “farm” produces. In fact the birds consume 50 percent of all the shrimp and 20 percent of all the fish produced.
At Veta la Palma, they measure the health of their “farm” by the health of their predators. Imagine ranchers measuring the health of their lands by the health of the wolves that feed on the sheep. Six years ago there were no birds at Veta La Palma, just cows. The transformation that has taken place there in just a few years is truly astounding.
Most sustainable fish farms farm intensively, while Luis farms extensively. Typically, high inputs of energy (a 10 or 20 to one ratio of fish feed to edible fish), and large amounts of waste are created in order to make our food. Producing fish this way is, at best, a short-term solution to the fish problem. Veta la Palma does things differently. It is the fish-farming equivalent of a “grass farm”.
It starts with a hatchery cultivating diverse species. These baby fish need some fish feed, and some electricity is used to manage the water flows in the estuary. But there are very low inputs of energy for huge outputs of biomass. This is the opposite of industrial agriculture and feedlot fish farming.
For most of their lives, the fish are never fed, except by Mother Nature, eating their “local, seasonal, organic, indigenous foods.” They eat the phytoplankton and microalgae that transforms light, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen and phosphorous into enormous biomass (fish) that feeds birds and humans. The “farm” acts as a treatment plant filtering pollutants, purifying water and producing food. It buffers global climate change. Luis also explained how the “weeds” called Salicornia grows abundantly over marsh. Fed to farm animals this weed lowers cholesterol 50 percent and is now being used by chefs across Europe.
Some may wonder where we can find similar lands available to re-create this amazing ecosystem. No question it will require a radical rethinking of what’s possible. I am a doctor that addresses the ecology of health, not an aquaculture or wetland expert, but Veta La Palma seems to me a model of the future of fish farming. Nurturing, supporting and restoring diverse natural ecosystems makes sense for our health and it is a better way to produce food long term.
I imagine the possibility of damaged and neglected wetlands across the planet modeling this simple idea—restoring ecosystems and creating food for birds (and humans get to snack on the leftovers). National parks, coastal wetlands, estuaries, governments, ecologists and entrepreneurs together may create a solution to our fish problem. Perhaps one day soon, the estuaries around New York City will once again produce seemingly endless quantities of giant oysters and lobsters, and prisoners will riot again, as they did in the 18th century because they are sick of eating lobster and oysters.
The TED talk by chef Dan Barber tells the story of Veta La Palma in more detail. For skeptics of fish farming, watching the talk is a brisk wake up like the sea breeze on a winter day in Cape Cod. I strongly recommend it.
Now I’d like to hear from you.
What do you think of the possibility of converting neglected wetlands into “grass-fed” fish farms?
Do you think changes like these make a difference in our individual health and the health of our world? If so, how?
What ideas do you have to improve our food supply while supporting sustainable environmental change?
Please add your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
This is fantastic news, thank you for sharing. The wellness movement and the green movement are the same thing. Our health and the health of the planet are inextricably linked. Its very encouraging to learn that there are companies out there that have grasped the concept and are taking action! The time for change is now. Thanks for sharing
Could the middle east be the future food basket if they are allowed to follow their hearts?
Yes it is absolutely good idea. We need more and more of grass-fed fish farm like Veta La Palma all across america and through out world for better ecosystem.
These type of farms needed in all ghetto city to improve conditions and real food for the people. People will learn on nutrition and improve their health.
Nice article !
Can this be translated to a private farming practice on 100 acres that is perhaps 1/3 wetland protected? Can you get the state to allow? I would need 700k just to secure the land and then how much to set this up? Are there funds available?
I have a masters degree in human develpment – retired to try to save the family land from being broken up and sold for developments – and failing.
I would be happy to develop a demonstration project — need help.
I am in Oregon’s WIllamette Valley.
I wish you the best. Just putting your intent out there will bring what you need. I’ve been looking at “intentional
communities.” I’m confident there are like-minded people in your neighborhood.
I think wetlands farming is a wonderful idea. But no details were given in your brief article as to how such a farm is established. The estuaries around New York are now being built upon, for a sports complex and for the new town of Secaucus, so if eco-farming is to be done in this area it had better be done fast. A real problem with wetland or estuary farming in the US is that such areas tend to fall under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers, so we will need enlightenment at the upper levels of government, not likely in an era of political wrangling. Obama supposedly has great scientists in place, like Gerald Holder, who ought to be aware of these issues, but instead attention is being focussed on closing down NASA and changing the weather. O tempora o mores!
I never eat farm raised fish because of the system used in this country . I agree the grass fed system would be great to help replace the SAD diet america consumes. After reading The China Study . Vegan has become my diet.
It seems self-evident that when we avoid doing something that is obviously beneficial to the ecosystem as well as the population, be that better farming practices or better energy sources, someone at the top is being threatened.
“The forces at the top” are allowed to do what they do by our elected officials. Unless/until our political system undergoes a sea change, we are doomed by our own disregard. “We”, all of us, are complicit.
Sometimes, before the public wakes-up to their own neglect, we have to hit bottom. Have we learned nothing from history ? Not much.
Sounds wonderful. I can’t add anything other than I m an 77 year old artist,a painter of wet lands, a fish eater and came from midwest small dairy farm that practiced the old sustainable farming methods. I will pass this on to a son in the enivormental field. As an added note I am NO fan of Al Gore and the other envoriormental crazed nuts out there that spread messages of doom.
I support you 100%. I think it’s going to take involving each person to put forth effort. Such as to stop purchasing the farmed fish. That I think sends a message their product is no longer wanted. Then aquire that land. Maybe start with that. I am no expert, but I feel the same way about my family’s health & the earth’s health. I wish there was more I could offer.
Thanks & Have A Great Day!
Dear Dr. Hyman,
For 30 years I have been raising Malaysian Prawns (freshwater shrimp) in South Carolina, without herbicides or pesticides. Your article fascinates me. Please send me any links to more information, (how to access Dan Barber’s talk).
Thank you.
Johnny Roland
Dear Dr Hyman, This would be a wonderful solution to the filling in of wetland for development in metro areas instead of buying land 50 to 100 miles away from the area and making new wetlands to replace the ones filled in; like the water knows it needs to go 50 miles and not here so it doesn’t flood the surrounding area. If this seems unreal it has happened to me more than once with the resulting flooding that had NEVER happened before. This would also help the development of food sources closer to the population that eats the food plus provide more jobs for those living in those areas. Sounds like another whole new for of farming if someone is willing to try it. This sounds so similiar to the concepts of Will Allen and Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wi. This doesn’t even touch the advantage of a great, healthy food source. This is all so amazing it is like WOW!!! I hope your information will get to someone with the resources to get this started., Thank you for sharing this.
Your article this morning is like a breath of fresh air on this wintry grey day in Chicago. I am going to copy it and put it in our laundry room for others to read as they wait for their clothes to be laundered. Thank you
I think it’s a grand idea! This world has become way overbalanced in destroying natural wilderness areas (especially the ‘sophisticated’ West) and to hear of something like this is quite refreshing. However, in view of our population (like it or not, and I don’t, it’s there just the same), is it feasible? The alternatives are consuming more and more of basically worthless ‘food’ so maybe it is – I sure hope so!
I live in Mexico. Retired from the USA. Mexico has quite a few places where the ecofish farm could relive the unemployment/under employed problem. Reduce the alternative of the drug trade.
Mexicans that are in the group of under emplyed are the perfect group for the type of work for the fish farm.
Anything that works in harmony with nature rather than in spite of it has to be an improvement.
Our company is planning to construct a Red Fish Farm (Red Drum) in Belize soon. Fish will be fed protien from by-product of menhaden fish after oil is extracted from them, and protein from soybean. Hope to produce 1M pounds of edible fish per year when in full production and export to U.S.. We currently have several investors lined up at this time but will welcome additional interested persons or companies.
Brilliant concept. How can this be moved forward? Thanks for all your great work. Bye for now. Sue
Sounds good but isn’t the water in these estuaries as contaminated with mercury etc. as other waterways.?
Thank you.
That is an excellent way to restore the proper order of things in the ecosystem. If that strategy is duplicated by others, the health of every living organism and people will improve. When God created the ecosystem it was good. This method will restore a holistic healthy ecosystem.
This article has changed my mind regarding “fish farms” A Google search of “Salicornia” provides even more optimism for the Ecosystem that you describe.
My thoughts went to Haiti…when you apply the basic ideas of salt water Salicornia farms to the situation in Haiti what a great way to create resources in a country that has an abundance of sea water and little else.
Hi Mark,
I think this is a brilliant idea, at least this way the pollutants are not being dumped into the new ecosysytem like it is being done in our oceans.
Antonio
Dr. Hyman
Let us hope that this change of paradigm takes hold before the environmentally devastating fish farms and the “Monsantos” of the world pollute the native gene pool and introduce devastating pathogens that forever alter the brilliantly functioning natural systems that sustain themselves, AND can easily sustain us–deliciously.
If we will each make a commitment to invite our friends and families to be entertained for 19 minutes by Dan Barber (TED.com video http://blog.ted.com/2010/03/10/how_i_fell_in_l/ while he relates his falling in love with a fish, then we can Make a Difference. As the oft quoted Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Let’s go do it.
Thank you for making the time and using your energy to help the scales fall from our eyes and see this problem AND solution clearly.
With respect & gratitude,
Kate Harper
This farm is the perfect example of farming done right! I sure hope this is the future of fish farming. A great book written by Dayton O. Hyde called “Don Coyote”, tells the story of his cattle ranch in Oregon. He allowed the coyotes to coexhist on his farm. He discovered that a lake had disappeared from his 2000 acre ranch so he and his sons, working with antiquated equipment, reestablished the lake. By allowing his land to revert back to a complete ecosystem he realized that all the problems other ranchers in the area were having(mice overpopulation, grasses damaged by late spring frosts, etc.) disappeared from his ranch. Ranching done right! We can do it. The problem is, old habits die hard. We seem to have to wait until our backs are against the wall before we do something about it.
The story about the sustainable fish farming method of Veta la Palma is so impressive and convincing that it should be emphatically promoted in the USA, perhaps by addressing the governmental agencies like “Fish & Wildlife”, and/or the “EPA”, etc.with a suggestion of providing governmental tax incentives to enterpreneurs who would commit themselves to those fish farming methods.
Maria
I would love to see something like this done where I live in Northwest Louisiana. I live on one of the few pristine original marshlands in the area that was damned up to form a lake, but has retained the moss draped cypress trees and alligators. The lake provides a place for natural water drainage from a bayou several miles north. We have many species of fish and water fowl and the ducks migrate here during the winter. We have natural populations of catfish here that could be improved upon. Keep up the excellent work of providing wonderful articles with excellent research.
Good reading
Thank you for bringing this hope to us. What a wonderful concept! I wish I had something to offer other than praise. I hope that you will find and share other ideas with us.
I believe we must improve our food supply by developing new and keeping older sources of food right here in the United States. It makes no sense to import food across the oceans in thousands of tankers that pollute our water and air. Ditto, large trucks going across our country bringing food to states that can grow their own for the most part. Maybe the model of fish farming for our coastal waters would work….sounds good anyway. We all might have to get used to things like fresh blueberries and tomatoes in season and develop our local food sources. Also I worry that food grown out of the country may not be subject to the same regulations we have. Investigate how many of our foods and the things we add to them cannot be imported into some European countries because of health concerns, while those manufacturers continue to sell the stuff to Americans because our regulations are not as stringent.
This was done decades ago in vertical towers using Tilapia in (I’m wanting to say Philadelphia…?) a major eastern U.S. as a part of a waste water treatment system that included storm runoff. They used a system of vertical tanks made of see through Plexiglas, as I recall, and it functioned even through the winter months.
It was such a success that even the designers were astounded by the disappearance of major industrial chemicals found in the storm runoff. “Environmentalists” (closet genociders) were infuriated with the success and wouldn’t endorse the process.
Until we can raise human beings without the “Disney” syndrome (talking animals with human characteristics) interfering with intelligent thinking or hysterical “green” falsehoods tainting people’s perceptions, no I am unwilling to think of wolves as a part of a healthy eco-system because the minds that would manage such a system are unnatural creatures formed in psychopathic cultures.
Otherwise, your thoughts are noteworthy.
This is the proper and logical answer to all the needs and concerns from all sides. The ecology is sound and self-supportable, the natural food chain is maintained and all levels therein are enriched. Most important to the human food supply, the fish that are produced in such an environment are properly fed to provide the many important nutrients and yet be free of the waste-borne disease and pollutants that are endemic within typical commercail fish-farming. The result is a win-win for all concerned, which we should all be!
This is a beautiful concept that we would do well to find a way to emulate here.
Hello Dr. Hyman,
This is an interesting article that highlights a way to preserve the environment, reduce over-fishing, and to obtain fish as a food source using different methods that the typical fish farms use.
There needs to be further discussion about this topic because fish farming seems so much cleaner and less destructive to the environment than typical factory farms. This type of farming also promotes a clean environment which is essential for a healthy diet & lifestyle. Environmentalists should hopefully see the benefits of this idea.
- Doug Reagin
Rocklin, CA
Dr. Hyman,
Thank you for being what I would call “a real doctor”. You don’t sell us simplistic and unsustainable cures. You lead us to think and learn together about how we might all be well in an environment that is well!
Here’s to grass-fed-fish!!!
Wow! A sustainable healthy fish farm — what a concept! Thanks for sharing this information.
Fantastic idea for optimally re-using low-lying land areas about to be flooded by rising sea levels — Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay come to mind.
I absolutely agree!! We need to make new ecosystems since we have pretty much destroyed the ones we had…the way this fish farm is handled is dissolving the problems that are common with traditional fish farms ..it is true that animals pretty much have built in “radar” on what is safe to eat as long as they have a choice!! We could learn from them…we are destroying our oceans and even now the mercury levels in ocean fish are at an all time high!! And they are being over harvested..we need to start taking care of this land if we are to survive and these natural fish farms like Luis Farms are an excellent starting point!!
Developing grass-fed fish farms out of neglected wetlands sounds like great idea providing that the wetlands chosen for use are non-toxic. As a fly fisher I know that fish that are caught in the wild have a more robust color and flavor than traditionally farm-raised fish. I am told that since these fish must forage for their food they have a richer nutrient content as well. The grass-fed option appears to simulate the environment experienced by wild fish.
The pollution of the environment and harmfully cultivated fish provide a serious threat to our health and reduces the options available for people to maintain a diverse and healthy diet. An even scarier threat to our options and a further assault on natural habitats is the introduction of patented, genetically engineered fish. The fish I am referring to are the AquAdvantage® genetically engineered salmon developed by AquaBounty Technologies. The so-called “super salmon” have been engineered to yield more consumable flesh and have the ability to tolerate water temperatures which extend beyond that of a wild habitat range. Trout Unlimited, an organization of fishers who have as one of its missions, the preservation of natural fish habitats, has referred to the mutated salmon as “frankenfish”.
It is inevitable that these fish will breech the restricted habitats that are promised. The changes to natural habitats which are anticipated could place the viability of wild fish at serious risk. It is possible that the engineered fish will over populate natural habitats. These rivers and lakes would be stressed by over feeding, reducing indigenous food sources, thus starving wild fish. This scenario is not the same as the effect of stocking rivers with fish. Stocked rivers are typically barren of wild fish. The majority of stocked fish are quickly caught by sport fishers.
There are available but severely challenging remedies for the issues noted above. Advocating a financial benefit which would accrue from grass-fed fish farming could effect change. It seems that dollars dominate the language best understood by corporations. Another option would be to lobby local, state and federal governments to protect natural and responsibly maintained habitats. In addition, advocating the introduction and enactment of regulations requiring further consideration, limitation or the prevention of genetically engineered species.
Yes, of course, this makes a difference. Is anyone doing this in US? If so, who and where.
Big Ag is successful because people do not educate themselves about the perils of industrial agriculture. Of course, the business itself has been very stealthy with it’s practices. Just one example, most of the cattle feed lot producers are in sparcely populated rural areas with no idea how to fight with an entity that fills their air and water with the aroma of cow shit. This is no exageration, drive through Dodge City Kansas and see for yourself. Is it not strange that Big Ag is now so powerful that it is forcing people to live a life of eating empty calories and a filthy environment? Is it not really really weird that people will actually adapt to it? I hear the economic arguments, however, the one organic truck garden nearest my home sells every item they grow because it tastes good and would sell more if they raised winter vegetables. The rancher from whom I buy my grass finished beef sells every cow they raise before they are even butchered. We are so used to the convenience of McDonalds and Long John Silvers that we no longer know what is good for us.
Enjoyed the article and the video. One thing, Rivers and lakes are extremely polluted. One of the things that was not discussed is having filter area of cattails and bullrushes to filter before you have your farmed area. Also, the benefits of managed wetlands far out weight the cost of developing them. Great news.
Our family enjoys fish several times a week and so this is very interesting to me. Great idea and concept of the parallel on raising grass . . . This is exactly the kind of thinking we need and practices we can all endorse with our choices. The kinds of choices we have now are limited to “wild” or “farmed” – The price disparity is so often a limiting factor. I could imagine meeting in the middle with “grass-fed” …
Europe is so far ahead of the US in sooooo many ways. If only the politicians and government officials would think environmentally, the impact on the future, and not about the dollar , we also could strive to make brilliant choices like this.
I’m not sure if the Country is ready to hear what I think . While I understand we
as a people need to move forward , I feel we may need to move backwards a few steps frist ……..
Your discussion about fish farming speaks to the greater question about food and our way of life in general.
I think that mass farming methods have many issues; such as the need to ship unripe foods, storage and nutrient degradation, transportation to the customer which wastes fuel plus results in wear and tear to highways/infrastructure, and so on — simply a lot of waste.
Local food production methods are one solution including what can be grown at home in your yard or apartment balcony or rooftop or community area.
In order to repair the oceans and seas we must stop the abuse and let nature heal. This, I believe, is best achieved with the individual efforts of all people. One way is to vote with your wallet by choosing not to support harmful and wasteful practices.
Low tech and simple to implement methods such as Aquaculture/Aquaponics can help — also sustainable agriculture called Permaculture.
We do not need GMO foods to feed the masses. There are many other ways to produce more food. For example, for another perspective please watch Alcohol Can Be Gas by David Blume. Using spent brewing material and other methods can rebuild the soil that has been damaged and imbalanced by chemicals, rebuild lost soil which is also a critical problem, plus grow nourishing plants without expensive chemicals and fertilizers. We do not need to make alcohol from foods — bulrushes and many other plants can work too.
There are many ways to produce fuel and no perfect solutions. However, I think it prudent to consider all methods because resources differ by location. In addition, electric vehicles that are charged by geothermal, solar and wind sources are fine for home and light transportation but problematic for large equipment so other methods must be considered.
Back to Aquaponics… Tilapia and in my opinion, a more tasty fresh water Australian fish Murray Cod, mussels, crayfish and more can be raised in a backyard greenhouse or in commercial greenhouses. The fish waste provides fertilizer for hydroponically grown foods or even flowers such as roses.
Part of the issue of growing foreign species of any kind is personal responsibility — they cannot be allowed to escape the confines of their controlled environment. If some question this then they should examine the risks of genetically modified plants which have already spread beyond intended boundaries. I think it is much easier to keep a fish confined in an enclosed backyard tank than a plant that produces seeds which grows in an open field. Are we up to the task?
Everything can be supplied in a sustainable way. Fish or crayfish or the like can be fed with vermiculture composting, as well as with black soldier fly or other larvae using composting grub growers or for vegetarian fish, duck weed and other such plants in the same confined tank could be grown to support their diet.
Of course, these fish and crayfish are not the same as Cod or lobster and so on but they are high quality proteins and still good eating. In addition, I wonder how many people know how much food is enough, especially when they sit at a desk all day?
As a society, have we stopped to consider what we want and what we really need?
And what are our goals for the future and how are we going to get there?
Do we take the time to understand proposed solutions? There are consequences for any choice that we make. For example, abundant coal sounds good until you consider the output created by burning it and where the coal is located such as nearby where people live. The same is true for gases — fractioning for gas means that the ground is going to be disturbed — is that ground near your water source or your home? Nuclear might sound good but what about the waste and where is the water going to come from — your tap? This is the same issue when it comes to food and how it is being supplied now — including farmed fish.
We need to consider the loop from the beginning to the end and not so much the hype or what seems to be easy ways to solve problems.
Are we willing to give up anything for solutions?
We can improve the oceans and so much more simply by our own and/or community initiatives if we really want to.
These methods plus supporting local farmers and growing food locally, are a start.
The concept of sustainable fish farms may be criticized by some, but it is the future. There’s no way around it. Thanks for bringing this Spanish example to my attention.
WE BETTER DO SOMETHING!
Dr. Hyman,
How can we thank you enough for arranging to observe these incredible possibilities. Not only might we undertake this sort on ecological evolution, we must!! Our government, as well as consuming itself with faulty band-aids for a broken paradigm might busy itself with Life Supportive and Sustaining projects of this kind. Our Peace Corps might become a Health Corps or more adroitly a Life Corps. GOD Bless all that you bring. Much appreciation, Donna
Thank you! I’ve never heard of natural fish farming but the concept is beautiful. Now there has to be some fish hatcheries out there that want to get on the band wagon and be the first to do this in the United States. Imagine all the restaurants that will buy from this source! I’m working on becoming a Health Counselor to help people make better choices that will help them and the environment. I know there is a way to leave a legacy for the generations we just need to educate, care and follow through.
Is anyone doing this in America? I’d like to know more about this. Thank you for this info.
I am impressed as well. Actually more like amazed! It makes me wonder how many other incredible ideas are out there that we have not used to improve our ecosystem while promoting a sustainable lifestyle.
I would love to part of an endeavor such as this.
This is awesome! I saw the Ted Talks video first, then read this article. I’m thinking of telling my wanna-be-marine-biologist daughter to start studying Spanish, so she can go study sustainable, clean fish farming at that bird sanctuary/fish farm in Spain!
I think this kind of fish “farm” would be great.
Thank you for sharing this information. I trust that there will be entrepreneurs who will run with this idea. I have always believed that restoration of ecco systems are possible and your information is a proof
It is indeed a ‘breath of fresh air’ to see such goings on in the troubled world of today. Amazing…but not really, because the solutions we all seek are staring us in the face; restoring the natural balance can truly mend all of our woes. I have been increasingly frustrated of late due to the difficulty in finding safe, unpolluted seafood I can eat without worry. So this model is clearly one the entire fishing industry, and other industries, need to closely examine and emulate on as wide a scale as possible. Applied worldwide, using various local species indigenous to each area, this could clearly be the answer we desperately need. In fact, I see no other way out of our current situation on this planet (in regards to food supply).
I wonder if this is something, like power generation, that could be done more locally (rather than needing an 8000-acre ecosystem. Check with Amory Lovins at the Rocky Mountain Institute–he might know who’s doing things like this.
I think it could work! From what I see here, it would be more healthy for all of us in more ways than one. Now if only the right people would look and listen with an open mind, and see the possibilities.
was chatting with friends tonight about Rachel Carson’s book of 40 years ago – ‘Silent Spring’ – The ‘cranks’ of 40 years ago are now being taken seriously – fixing our broken ecosystems goes right along with fixing our broken minds – Thanks for the article – maybe life can be worth living after all!!
We visited a community in Maine many years ago that was raising Tilapia in solar tanks indoors and everything was self sustaining. Audubon had a nature center there also where all the grey water was put out in the wetlands where it was safely recycled. Now in Ferndale,Mi, there are greenhouses growing organic lettuces and using plants and fish and worms to recycle. The lettuce is beautiful and very tasty. Why hasn’t this caught on after all these years?
How about using the wet lands in Los Angeles between Marina del Rey and playa del Rey? What a great concept! How would we look into this to make it happen?
This type of aquaculture needs to be adopted all across the globe. The biologist who runs veta la palma needs to be put up for a nobel prize or something! If places like this were to become the norm, I honestly think there would be a bright future for the wetlands, rivers, and oceans. I truly hope to see more of these types of fish farms in the future, hopefully some in the U.S.A. Great article Dr. Hyman and thanks for bringing this the attention it so rightly deserves!
What an amazing way to “grass farm” fish. Thank you for posting this information that could be transformational, if implemented globally.
Dear Dr. Hyman. Thank you for another most informative read. I think that anytime we can get back to the more productive ways of farming anything from fish to crops, it is a great task that needs to be done. Myself I am interested in anything that promotes a healthier lifestyle through the consumption of healthier foods . I wish I had both the knowledge and resources to do all of these things on a mini-scale to feed just my own family…and perhaps a few close friends/relatives. I am constantly searching for ways and means to do just that. Once again. Thanks. David.
Dr. Hyman – the valuable information you provide in this article holds hope for the future of our ecosystem and for the health benefit of all people – especially the underprivileged. What was accomplished @ Veta La Palma is a seemingly positive step in a better direction. It would appear that it can be easily replicated here in the US. I look forward to the benefits of eating seafood grown in this type of healthier environment and will encourage my clients to do the same. Thank you for your balanced opinion and valuable information you freely share. I like your analogy of “watching chef Dan’s talk” as waking up to a brisk sea breeze in Cape Cod in the winter! I have experienced this and agree that it is both exciting and calming. Will stay connected to any future information you provide regarding this venture and be sure to share it with others. Ida (recent IIN graduate)
Nothing like raising the old, dead ideas, to grab ones attention.
Most ideas cast off by society in haste to move into a new century, live in the GE house of the future, or now in the Corning Glass house, (and what have you), were based on far greater environmental understanding than most concepts today as “New”. What happened to Bio-dynamic gardening?
Watching just a few NGO (National Geographic) specials, an ecosystem whether in Yellowstone or Andalusia, can be shown as a closed loop with little or no waste, and every species benefits, flora and fauna alike.
What is amazing is how nature has it all figured out, if we could just allow it to do her thing without being so intrusive and ultimately damaging.
Makes sense to me. It is up to the individual I guess. Large companies and governments aren’t always drawn to “good sense”!
There is an Iraqi doing similar things in Iraq, re-flooding a huge area of previously drained and dead marshland. Reeds have returned and with them, birds, and fish and people. Given just a little help, Mother Nature can really turn things around. There is hope!
Good for you Dr. Hyman. We’re all gonna have to start thinking “outside the box” in order to solve the many problems facing us these days. Any innovative entrepreneurs out there that like to eat healthy??
I love this. I visited a chocolate factory in Las Vages that treated the waste water like that. They sold the water back to the state. This is great to see on a grand scale. No antibiotics and farmed GREAT
Pure, healthy fish for Americans to enjoy while creating environments that not only do not pollute but improve our environmental health – it’s a monumental feat worth going after! However I believe it worked in Spain because they were ready for the change. Americans are absorbed with immediacy, comfort and convenience. The kind of ecosystem in Cordova, Spain is a product of higher consciousness. We have a long road ahead of us.
Congratulations. Finally someone is speaking out about our toxic fish and what we can do to remedy it. Hopefully, someone is reading this that can do something about it.
Thank you.
Here in Australia we have a gentleman named Peter Andrews who has been working on landscape solutions that he believes have potential to revitalize even our ailing Murray Darling basin. He envisages wetland agriculture supporting cattle, dairies, the lot. As well as repairing the native systems for wildlife at the same time. I don’t see why fish farming wouldn’t be part of that. He has encountered strong opposition, but the CSIRO our govt science agency keeps confirming his theories when they test them, and this year he received an Order of Australia award. So there Is hope down under and it’s great to read of this Spanish example. Thanks!
As sea levels rise and airable land shrinks, the real unsung heroes of the food chain will move front and center – phytoplankton and aquatic vascular plants. The pioneering research into salt tolerant – edible plants (Halophytes) in the U of Arizona extension in Puerto Penasco, Mexico paved the way for other researchers to expand these farming techniques like those in Spain. Feeding grass to grass carp makes sense ecologically and economically as American tastes are weaned off predator fish like dwindling stocks of grouper and transferred to vegetarian species low on the chain like Tilapia and crustaceans.
Do you think changes like these make a difference in our individual health and the health of our world? Absolutely.
If so, how? Inspiring people to put down the chip baq, turn off the TV and grow some vegetables forces exercise and a re-attachment to mother earth. It changes their spending habits and supports sustainable slow food producers for example.
What ideas do you have to improve our food supply while supporting sustainable environmental change? Create widespread solar desalinization greenhouses throughout developing areas to support diverse food production with low cost and low tech methods.
I think that is great. I have been told to eat only organic foods. I also eat wild Salmon. I stay away form Tilapia because it is farmed, and have heard that farmed fish is just as bad as chicken who are kept in coops.
If there is a way to farm fish on grass with out growth hormones & other unhealthy chemicals, I’m all for it!
Surprisingly there is a small organic farm in south Louisiana in Scott, a few miles west of Lafayette. The farm has a tilapia farm where the fish are not given antibiotics and primarily feed off phytoplanktin. I have not been to the farm but I have eaten the fish at the local health food store. The tilapia taste amazing! From what read on their website the fish farm is not 100% sustainable, fish live in filter water tanks, but the quality of fish is worlds better for humans and the environment! I think this a great change to industrial Talipia and Catfish farming and could bridge the gap to 100% natural fish farming.
Checkout their site http://www.gofamilyfarms.com
God Bless,
AJ V
Awesome! Thanks!
Finally, light at the end of the tunnel! I think this concept should be implemented immediately in all wetland/marsh environments in the U.S. Talk about creating new jobs, improving the environment, producing healthy seafood, increasing wildlife habitat and improving the whole eco system…it just doesn’t get any better then this!
When can we start?
Great article, Mark! You should check out http://www.ilovebluesea.com – they sell only sustainable seafood and they talk about only selling farmed finfish that have a favorable conversion ratio
What a wonderful idea — this gives swamp land in Florida a whole new meaning!
This is encouraging! I’d love to see this catch on in the US and throughout the world.
I am strongly reminded of the work of Micheal Pollan and his descriptions of how reorienting farming to a “life cycle” approach is the way we need to go. I live in a wetlands area in the Monterey Bay and encourage everyone to “vote with your wallet” when it comes to supporting sustainable farming projects. Binary thinking (farm fish bad/wild good) is the exact problem that plagues modern scientific medicine. Functional Medicine is taking a “life cycle” approach to chronic disease and it has revolutionized my approach to patient care.
I missed what this would cost to convert land to this use. Do we have wet lands that could be converted. The idea is great. How can we get it started?
Apparently there is more to this issue of farm raised verses wild caught. Again you have opened my eyes to see beyond the basic and not complete story.. What prevents us from converting neglected wetlands into “grass-fed” fish farms? It cannot be vision. You have clearly stated the vision. Is it politics or money? How can we make this happen? Thank you for all of your work.
The concept of coverting neglected wetlands into “grass fed fish farms” is certainly “functional” but not unique as your historical perspective delineates.
However, the driver of today’s global society – including Russia, China and India – is capitalism where rapid profit is the major objective. This has subordinated health, environmental and social issues. The only way to surplant the greedy human drive to self extinction is to incrementally substitude our capitalistic greed with a “balanced” approach. One approach could be to incite a financial gain to explore ways to use neglected grasslands or wetlands without the everkill by environmentalists because they would destroy the “blue eye” worm that resides in them.
As always, on top of the latest groundbreaking information.
Your suggestion about America`s fish is wonderful.. I go along with the concept..
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Great article! Another way to find more fish and stay healthier http://www.fishfinderauthority.com/ Thank you for posting we really appreciate it!
I love this idea because it is so intelligent and yet so simple. Not only will it solve so many of today’s pollution and health problems by providing cleaner, healthier food, but it also is a way to appreciate nature and connect to our roots, which also helps improve and sustain our health and happiness.
Thank you, Dr. Hyman. I’ve read all your books and read your website articles. I subscribe to your philosophy of nutrition and functional medicine. My wife and I are in our mid-sixties and gave up eating meat and fish 4 years ago because of ethics and toxins.
Recently, we began eating certain fish again now and then but always with suspicion and a bit of angst. It would be wonderful both for the ecology of our planet and our personal health if we could farm fish the way you describe.
Let’s get going people!
We have to start cleaning the water ways and fish. Such and important source of food for humans and other species. I also heard that marine plants are capable of cleaning some of the water pollutants. As long as these estuaries are self cleaning, this could be a great way to start the cleaning process! I really want to eat fish again!!!!
Read the River keeper!
Go Dr. Hyman!
Excellent idea and I’m surprised that the relevant authorities in the world are not already doing this. Having fishes in sanctuaries doesn’t just provide foods for the animals, but also controls mosquito infestation and keeps the ecosystem balance. Though I’m not sure whether that will be enough to satisfy the world’s appetite for seafood, it can certainly reduce the number of destructive fish farms we see today.
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This is great information. I will bring it up at a biweekly transitional meeting in Seattle. Thank you.
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Interesting — and uplifting — story! One small matter though: Ancient Rome had more than one million inhabitants for a period of time.
What a relief to know such a place exists! It’s way more than sustaining, it’s thriving… what an inspiration! Much appreciated.
Healthy Fish Farming is more important now than ever after the devastation in Japan and as a result radiation in our foods.
Where and how can this happen? We need millionaire investors…anyone interested?
It was great idea to convert neglected wetlands into “grass-fed” fish farms. However we must ensure that the area is flood free. Because the land is often flooded in the rainy season is the main problem of fish ponds
Thank you so much Dr. Hyman, for your articulate challenge of a wasteful system and the elegant description of a possible solution, a beautiful solution at that. Your essay reminds me of Michael Pollans description of the fascinating Joel Salatin and his farming methods,
Brilliant, beautiful and sustainable.
Thank you.
Excellent article; thanks for sharing. In a similar vein, a few months ago, on an organic gardening blog, I learned about some New Yorkers who have been promoting ‘aquaponics’. I really like the idea. Their website is: VIFarms.com. I follow them on Facebook, but they don’t post often.
Even a small step in this direction, in every area of our lives, would bring amazing, positive results to our lives and our planet.
Very happy to see your article, I very much to like and agree with your point of view. Thank you for sharing.
Really interesting , first hear about the fish farm in Spain on TEDS website,
Healing Clinic.We have a lot off wet land Norfolk Broads UK. hope some one with a bit of foresight reads this would have a good business.
lots off people out looking for good healthy fish.Colette UK
I absolutely love this idea of grass fed fish! Of course, organic foods are by far the best thing we can ingest for nutrition, but the industrial farmers will cry ‘foul’ about raising fish in this wonderful way just like they are trying to hobble the organic farmers. The people of this country have to stand up and make their wishes known…whether the ‘powers that be’ like it or not. It’s our health they are playing with and we have to protect it to the nth degree. Unfortunately, Wild fish is becoming more and more polluted and unhealthy to eat.
The bottom line has to take a back seat to good health for sure! HAPPY, HEALTHY EATING!! AND GOOD FORTUNE TO THE PROSPECTIVE GRASS FED FISH FARMERS.
Great article. I have been researching urban farming and aquaponics, growing fish and food plants in a symbiotic relationship. The method of feeding the fish did present a problem for me since they use a processed fish feed.
Several years ago I saw a PBS program on a similar project in one of the large cities in South America. They created a natural estuary as a way of filtering the drinking water for the city and were able to create a thriving fish source at the same time.
The city of Irvine, CA used this concept creating a wildlife sanctuary/park while filtering the polluted Santa Ana river before it drains into Newport Bay.
Loved the TED talk! Why not eat lowest on the food chain and eat the algae? We need less of it because it is so nutritionally potent and then the animals species can make a come back easier. Goes easily into a smoothie and no fishy smelling messy kitchens!
Excellent way of keeping our fish mercury free and organic as we really should be eating fish in our diet. I gave up fish do to the levels of mercury found in all fish. I’m saddened because I love tuna fish and salmon.
Would love for health food stores to start importing fish from this farm in Spain!
“Health is a choice, not a chance”!
CC
I think this is a most excellent idea. I am personally against all farming done in mass and unnaturally. It is awful for the animals not allowed to live as they were created to. It is awful on us with the poisons and drugs we get in our foods that we neither want not need.
I would love to see us take some initiatives modeled after this farm you describe. It sounds wonderful and I bet the fish taste far better too. Thank you for bringing this farm to our attention.
I born in a island rich in fish in Dominican Republic, but recently I decide to avoid to eat fishes in restaurant after testing the flavor, texture and juices of a lot of they, and I feel that ones were worst than the others even living in Massachusetts where there are great restaurants and fantastics chef, but nature did not wrong. Is the same with mankind. If you eat a healthy foot, you can see more vitality, brilliant eyes, and skin, more strength and a clearly mind.
We must avoid any GM food and force our goverment to promote that kind of fish, chicken, and cow farmer in USA.
Thank you, I appreciate too much this presentation.
Add a de-icer if necessary: In coloer climates, leave the netting on until the pond surface starts to freeze over. Then, when you remove the net, you can set in the de-icer. A pond de-icer does not actually heat the pond but instead keeps its immediate area from freezing. This allows for toxic gasses to be released and oxygen to enter the pond. In warmer climates where ponds do not freeze over, the pumps and aerators need to continue running year round. If the water temperature gets into the low 40 s (F) it will be helpful to the fish if these are lifted at least one foot from the bottom of the pond.Fish that are kept over-winter need at least 3 ft of deep, clean water, and a not too over-crowded pond should be OK, even if the pond surface freezes. If the surface should become completely frozen, remember to NOT break up the ice by pounding on it. Shock waves can seriously injure your fish. Set a pot of hot water on the ice to melt a hole in it. Do not dump the hot water on the ice, this will only allow more ice to form.
Whilst with my daughter in HI (September), we made great progress in setting up her aquaponics system.
The fish in this system, eat the underside of water hyacynth, which provides necessary shade and duck weed. Duck weed is an amazing plant because it doubles in volume every 48 hours.
I raise my own fish from fingerlings from a clean source (seller) in my aquaponics system where I pump the fish water into grow beds and grow veggies and the veggies clean the water and return it back to the fish in the same system. The fish are fed duckweed and even veggies from the grow beds and any worms and bugs caught snacking on our goodies. It all works out. There is no better way to get a big eye opener about food production than to grow and raise your own. Just a small 40 gallon balcony system produces enough food for 2 people… ad a few chickens and you can go from there. This is a great article and I hope many people are encouraged to take back their
http://loveforlife.com.au/content/10/11/23/videos-1-million-pounds-food-3-acres-10000-fish-500-yards-compost-grow-all-year-usi
There’s certainly a great deal to know about this topic. I really like all the points you made.
Look what the Army Corps of Engineers did to the crawfish industry in Louisiana and the marsh lands they thrived in. It was in the name of flood control. There seems to be a lot of coastal land along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that you can’t build on. So why not follow this pattern for growing harvestable sea food.
If the better grass farms are an indication, this could make wetlands restoration and maintenance not only ecologically self sustaining but financially self sustaining as well. In turn, that might make the politics easier.
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