Seafood Results

Summary

The Ocean Wise recommendation for this seafood variety comes from a global assessment of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) across species. This global report was possible because many aspects of RAS (i.e. the fundamental characteristics of the aquaculture method) are similar regardless of the species cultured. Should a species specific assessment exists for this aquaculture method, this report will take precedent for an Ocean Wise recommendation.

Note: All Ocean Wise recommendations for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) apply only to seafood products grown exclusively in RAS facilities through harvest at the end of grow out. It does not apply to seafood products that were raised in RAS hatcheries and transitioned to other production systems for the grow out period.

Escapes: RAS is a land based aquaculture method where production occurs in buildings and tanks. In addition, tank-based RAS utilize multiple screens and secondary capture devises. In combination, this setup ensures physical separation of the culture area from the natural environment minimizing the risk of escapes.

Disease: Disease transmission to the wild is low. RAS discharge limited volumes of water and have the ability to control and treat all discharges. Many facilities utilize ozonation and UV irradiation to disinfect water and maintain water quality.

Feed: Feed use and subsequent environmental impacts are highly species-specific, with some species requiring high levels of fishmeal and fish oil in their diets, which is often sourced from wild capture fisheries, while others can be grown commercially on a feed containing no animal ingredients. There are ongoing advancements in aquaculture feeds (particularly reductions in the use of fishmeal and fish oil) and their efficiency of use (i.e., the feed conversion ratio, FCR), making this an area of continued improvement for RAS operations.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (Indoor Tanks With Wastewater Treatment)

Summary

The Ocean Wise recommendation for this seafood variety comes from a global assessment of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) across species. This global report was possible because many aspects of RAS (i.e. the fundamental characteristics of the aquaculture method) are similar regardless of the species cultured. Should a species specific assessment exists for this aquaculture method, this report will take precedent for an Ocean Wise recommendation.

Note: All Ocean Wise recommendations for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) apply only to seafood products grown exclusively in RAS facilities through harvest at the end of grow out. It does not apply to seafood products that were raised in RAS hatcheries and transitioned to other production systems for the grow out period.

Escapes: RAS is a land based aquaculture method where production occurs in buildings and tanks. In addition, tank-based RAS utilize multiple screens and secondary capture devises. In combination, this setup ensures physical separation of the culture area from the natural environment minimizing the risk of escapes.

Disease: Disease transmission to the wild is low. RAS discharge limited volumes of water and have the ability to control and treat all discharges. Many facilities utilize ozonation and UV irradiation to disinfect water and maintain water quality.

Feed: Feed use and subsequent environmental impacts are highly species-specific, with some species requiring high levels of fishmeal and fish oil in their diets, which is often sourced from wild capture fisheries, while others can be grown commercially on a feed containing no animal ingredients. There are ongoing advancements in aquaculture feeds (particularly reductions in the use of fishmeal and fish oil) and their efficiency of use (i.e., the feed conversion ratio, FCR), making this an area of continued improvement for RAS operations.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (Indoor Tanks Without Wastewater Treatment)

Summary

Chemical use: Although there is every indication that chemical use in aquaculture of this species is done responsibly, no specific antibiotic volumes or frequencies were available for this assessment. Industry is known to use chemicals listed by the World Health Organization as being “Highly Important” (oxytetracycline and florfenicol) and “Critically Important” (flumequine) to human health, indicating their importance in human medicine.

Escapes: The open nature of net pens indicates that there is a high inherent risk of escape associated with these production systems. This farmed species is native to the Mediterranean; however, the majority of fish are sourced from domesticated, hatchery-reared broodstock that have experienced artificial selection for favorable production traits over several generations. Despite this domestication, there is no indication that escapes have had negative genetic effects on wild populations.

Disease: Several diseases associated with farms have been shown to have environmental and economic impacts, but there is no evidence of transmission of diseases from farmed fish to wild populations. Although the open nature of net pens represents inherently low biosecurity of the system and allows for any disease agents to transfer freely into and out of the farm site, the increased use of vaccines has greatly reduced the frequency and magnitude of disease outbreaks in recent years.

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• Net Pens / Cages (Marine Only)

Summary

Abundance: Very little information is known about the abundance of this species in the English Channel, but there is no indication that the species is depleted.  

Bycatch: Fishery catches species (Atlantic cod and European sea bass) which are currently in low abundance and facing high fishing pressure.

Management: Broadly management is in place to protect fisheries, however few strategies specifically apply to black seabream.

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• Trawls (Bottom / Demersal)

Summary

Abundance: Very little information is known about the abundance of this species in the English Channel, but there is no indication that the species is depleted. 

Bycatch: Fishery catches species (Atlantic cod and European sea bass) which are currently in low abundance and facing high fishing pressure.

Management: Broadly management is in place to protect fisheries, however few strategies specifically apply to black seabream.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Trawls (Bottom / Demersal)

Summary

Abundance: Very little information is known about the abundance of this species in the English Channel, but there is no indication that the species is depleted.

Bycatch: Fishery catches species which are currently in low abundance and facing high fishing pressure.

Management: Broadly management is in place to protect fisheries, however few strategies specifically apply to black seabream.

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• Handlines and Pole-and-Lines (Hand-Operated)

Summary

Abundance: Very little information is known about the abundance of this species in the English Channel, but there is no indication that the species is depleted. 

Bycatch: Fishery catches species (European horse mackerel) which is currently undergoing overfishing. Harvest can also catch common dolphins.

Management: Broadly management is in place to protect fisheries, however few strategies specifically apply to black seabream.

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• Trawls (Midwater / Pelagic)

Summary

Abundance: Very little information is known about the abundance of this species in the English Channel, but there is no indication that the species is depleted. 

Bycatch: Fishery catches species which are currently in low abundance and facing high fishing pressure.

Management: Broadly management is in place to protect fisheries, however few strategies specifically apply to black seabream.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Gillnets (Set / Anchored)

Summary

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• Ponds (Semi-Intensive)

Summary

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• Net Pens / Cages (Marine Only)