Organic Farmed Salmon
Part of our Fish For Tomorrow range
The Choice
Recent developments in salmon farming have transformed a once luxurious foodstuff into a relatively cheap source of protein. However, like chicken production, this has been through the use of intensive methods and the wholesale use of chemicals. In addition, wild Atlantic salmon are now described as an endangered species, and environmentalists are urging fishermen not to catch them.
Graig Farm offers an alternative - organic farmed salmon from Shetland, where they use more natural conditions, in open seas, without the general use of chemical pesticides.
"I could see dear old Frank standing in the boat, and holding up a glorious salmon, with its silver scales glittering in the sun.... In our eyes, 'was never salmon yet that shone so fair', as we bore it in triumph to our inn.... We carried it to the kitchen, where it cost my friend no little effort to transfer his captive to the cook; and I am quite convinced that could he have escaped ridicule, he would have preferred to take that fish to bed with him. I am glad he did not; for a firmer, flakier, curdier salmon never gladdened a table d'hote, and there were 'lashings and lavings' for our party of eight, when we met at dinner that evening"
Samuel Reynolds Hole, A Little Tour in Ireland - 1859
Organic or Conventional
There is real concern about the environmental and potential health effects of intensive fish farming, which we share. Organic fish farming seeks to avoid the problems associated with convenional systems of fish farming.
The Highest Standard - Graig Farm’s farmed salmon from Scotland is fully organic to Organic Food Federation and Soil Association Salmon Standards.
Room to swim properly - A normal fish farm uses fairly small cages, with stocking densities of some 25 to 30 kg of fish per cubic metre; the fish supplied to Graig Farm are stocked at less than half this rate (less than 10 kg/cubic metre). At this organic stocking rate, this equates to less than 1% of the volume of the water taken up by fish. This lower stocking rate reduces stress - a common theme in all organic livestock regulations. In large cages off the coast of the Scotland, the Graig Farm fish are able to swim in the strong sea currents, and shoal naturally. In fact, the fish swim some 6,000 miles per year - almost as far as wild fish.
No Artificial Lighting - Non-organic salmon farmers make widespread use of artificial lighting (often 24 hours) to simulate different seasons and to manipulate the growth and development of their fish. It can be used to make young fish grow faster, or to delay sexual maturation in growing fish. Soil Association organic salmon farmers are not allowed to use artificial lighting to prolong day length in the sea, or to use artificial lighting to manipulate the development of any stage of the fishes' lives.
Minimal Chemicals - Intensive fish farming often requires the use of pesticides to control parasites and problems resulting from very densely stocked fish. Due to the more extensive way they are farmed, the fish from Graig Farm do not require such pesticides in their production, and indeed, the use of chemicals, growth promoters and anti-biotics in organic salmon production is not allowed in principle.
However, as is mentioned elsewhere on our website for organic animal husbandry, treatment of sick fish within an organic system is allowed for reasons of animal welfare. However, drugs must be from a restricted list (four naturally occuring active ingredients, compared with 400 in intensive fish farming systems), and only with specific permission from the organic certifying authority, and the fish are not allowed to be sold for eating until much longer than the normal period (the 'withdrawal period') required elswhere. Also in line with land-based organic farming, fish cannot be sold as organic if more than three treatments have been given.
"Dr Strabismus (whom God preserve) of Utrecht is carrying out research work with a view to crossing salmon with mosquitoes. He says it will mean a bite every time for fishermen"
J.B Moreton (Beachcomber) 1893-1979 'By the Way'
Special Feed - The feed is from sustainable, non-GM sources. The most contentious issue is that of the use and source of fishmeal and oil. In the UK, the prefernce is for trimmings from herring and mackerel fish factories to be used. In France (where our sea bass are farmed), they use non-human food species of fish from sustainable fisheries.
There are no artificial colourants used. Whilst this makes for a slighly paler colour, use is made of crushed prawn shells to give pinkness to the flesh, simulating the natural wild diet. This does however, make organic salmon fed in this way look slighly paler pink in colour.
Environmental Impact - There are growing concerns about the detrimental environmental effects of intensive fish farming. The environmental impact of the certified organic fish from Graig Farm is minimal. A key criticism of non-organic salmon-farming is that the pens are sited permanently in sensitive marine environments and that the high stocking rates cause significant pollution on the sea-bed and surrounding area, through build-up of waste food and fish faeces. However, a recent and comprehensive report stated 'there is no significant contribution from salmon farming to nutrient enrichment except in certain extreme cases where water exchange is very poor'.
Organic standards seek to address this concern by specifying that pens can only be sited in areas subject to strong tidal flushing – i.e. movement and exchange of sea-water.
Antifouling - The net pens containing the salmon become colonised by a variety of seaweeds, small shellfish and other flora and fauna. In the summer, this can happen quite rapidly. Unlike non-organic farmers, organic farmers are not permitted to use toxic antifoulant chemicals (for example copper) to keep their nets clear. They must only use physical methods of cleaning them.
Our salmon range
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