Can wild and ocean-farmed fish be organic?



Can wild and ocean-farmed fish be organic?

Although the USDA is poised to allow wild and ocean-farmed fish to be certified organic, the new information contained in Center for Food Safety’s report makes a compelling case that they can never truly qualify as organic.

Is there an organic fish certification program?

Unlike organic labeling certified by the USDA, there is no organic certification program in the US for fish. Organic salmon, shrimp, cod and tilapia are available from certification programs in some other countries.

Can’sustainable’fish be certified organic?

Under existing organic laws in the U.S., there is no way to certify these wild fish as organic. To solve this, the federal government is proposing to allow fish farms to use meal only from "sustainable" fish species.

Can fish be raised on organic food?

This violates the principle that organic animals must be raised on 100 percent organic feed. One-third of the ocean’s harvest is herring, anchovies, mackerel and other small fish, which are made into fish meal and oil for fattening farmed fish and animals.