Is Farmed Fish Healthy? Part 1

In the previous article, I discussed the common signs of ill health and narrated examples on behavioral pattern, colorations and structural deformities that may be observed whenever there is some pathogenic attack on the fish. In this story however, I will talk about the other side of the coin and discuss this question, is farmed fish healthy to eat?

Well, traditionally we have been made to believe that fish from the wild, the rivers and lakes is healthy to consume than that from aquaculture. Many people do not just believe in this but they also shun from eating farmed fish saying “All farmed fish is fed with genetically modified food and is not good for human consumption”. “Fresh from the river”, is the term used to describes fish caught from the wild. Such fish is said to have come from a natural environment and is free from all sorts of contamination and is normally concludes to be chemical free. The opposite is true.

Firstly, allow me to point out clearly that the health of your fish in aquaculture will depend solely on rigid management practice spaying particular attention to growth rate, prevention of infection and from contact to bodily or physical harm. Since fish lives in water, fish may not be subjected to chemical exposure through what is known as diagnosis and treatment before being sent off to the markets. The fish farmer knows that keeping a clean environment is key for his fish to grow healthy and faster, so how then does this help to prevent diseases in humans who consume this fish?

On the second point, kindly note that fish diseases are only prevented by providing a clean environment. The surrounding area has to be protected with bio security measures. Foreign material from outside must be guarded by a liquid bath to contain, arrest and eliminate bacteria, fungi and viruses likely to be carried by vessels, foot wear, fishing equipment, poorly stocked feed and from post-harvest handling contamination.

Therefore, let me spare this discussion for Part 2 and leave you with questions. Do you know the exact place where your fish is caught from, who does the fishing and with what type of equipment and method is used, did you know that fish farms are normally exempted from cholera induced fishing bans????

A time will come when people will demand farmed fish that is well raised and farmed healthy. So don’t be left behind and take every opportunity to farm your own. Here is what is trending.

Government Republic of Zambia is currently running aquaculture empowerment projects in the nation with various stakeholders from finance, commerce, technical agents, communities and charity organisations. Thus in the name of food security, women and youth empowerment, Aquaculture Promotion and Development is being implemented by Agriculture Productivity, Marketing and Enhancement project, APMEP through the Ministry of Agriculture MoF, supporting clustered individuals as lead farmers in aquaculture providing them with inputs, technical services and capacity building. Additionally, MoF has another Aquaculture promotion project that is being promoted in partnership with IFAD through the Enhanced Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Program known as E-SAPP a Grant functional program running up to2024. Reach out and find out more from the Ministry of Agriculture.

There is a deliberate Aquaculture Seed fund, the business loan initiative being implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in Partnership with the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission through the program known as Zambia Aquaculture Enterprises Development Project ZAEDP which is funded by African Development Bank AfDB. A sum of 28million united states dollars was issued as an allocation to be disbursed among successful applicants across the given priority value chains. The stated value chains included, fingerling production, fish farming, fish processing, cold chain solutions, fish farming input supply and market linkages.

You are only sure of what you are eating, if you know exactly How and Who is Growing and Handling it.

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