Fishy science
"We have to develop new
aquaculture production that rivals global production of soybeans, pigs
and chickens if we want to keep eating fish and shellfish."
Since 1985, commercial fishing has annually produced approximately
90 million metric tons. Figures from 1999 show annual aquaculture production
at 42 million metric tons. Brown estimates that to keep up with demand,
annual aquaculture production must increase to as much as 100 million
metric tons by 2035.
However, the problem of meeting demand isn't just increasing the amount
raised on farms, says Brown, who does part of his research as a collaborator
in Purdue's Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health. The public
also must be educated that aquaculture can produce fish just as good
and possibly healthier than those caught in the wild.
"The consumer doesn't know to ask the right questions about fish,"
he says.
"If they want more omega-3 in their fish, we can put it in. If
they want fish that don't taste fishy, we can produce fish that don't
taste fishy. The public just needs to say what it wants."
Contact Brown at pb@fnr.purdue.edu
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