DOES HOMEGROWN, ORGANIC SEAFOOD REALLY EXIST IN HONG KONG?

A fish farm using a network of floating balls to hold the nets together. Credit: HKOrganicaa 

WHY DO WE NEED AQUACULTURE?

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly 32% of world fish stocks are overexploited, meaning that wild fish stocks don’t have time to be replenished before they are fished again. One solution to this problem is aquaculture, a controlled process of catching, breeding, and raising fish in tanks or enclosures. This method has been rapidly growing in recent years as the fish only need to be caught once before being bred in tanks or enclosures, reducing reliance on the wild-caught resources. However, like all commercial farming, if fish are not farmed responsibly, aquaculture can bring a multitude of unintended consequences, including severely damaging ecosystems by introducing diseases, pollutants and invasive species, and there have been additional concerns over the use of antibiotics and hormones.

For aquaculture to be considered sustainable, farmers must meet strict criteria, showing that they actively minimise their impact on the surrounding natural environment while operating their farm in a socially responsible manner, including treating staff fairly (no slave or child labour) and working with the local community. To ensure that the fish you purchase has been farmed sustainably, you should look out for certifications on the packaging – some of the most well-respected standards include the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Global G.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices). However, it is not guaranteed that all sustainable fish farms are organic, as although it is implied that sustainable fish farming should limit their use of unnecessary antibiotics and chemicals, there are sometimes exceptions – for example, ASC standards for shrimp accept low levels of antibiotics if found as residue in water systems where medicines have been used.

ORGANIC AQUACULTURE AS A SOLUTION?

To be more certain that fish were raised healthily without the use of chemicals, we can look towards organic aquaculture, which guarantees that fish were raised without the use of artificial chemicals. Although there isn’t a universal definition of organic, there are several internationally-recognised standards, such as the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), an international organisation whose principal work is to maintain organic farming standards and provides an organic accreditation and certification service. Unlike other sustainable standards, IFOAM dictates that the fish have to begin life in organic units, meaning they must come from organic sources and must have been caught without using destructive methods. They must also be reproduced by natural spawning and must only be fed organic feed, unless it is of inadequate quantity or quality, in which case other feeds may be used under special permission. Additionally, natural methods or medicines must be used first in case of illness, and synthetic substances may only be used when prescribed by a veterinarian if natural methods fail.

IFOAM logo

IFOAM has around 800 affiliates in 117 countries, including HKORC-Cert, the only independent incorporated third-party organic certification agent in Hong Kong, accredited by IFOAM in 2012. It is managed by Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre (HKORC). As of March 2021, there are 11 fish farms in HK that have been certified organic by HKORC-Cert, which includes both freshwater and mariculture farms.

Empty nets collected at a fish farm. Credit: HKOrganicaa

The produce of Noble scallop from HKOrganicaa farm

HKOrganicaa uses seaweed as fish feed. Credit: HKOrganicaa