Keeping Fish on the Menu: A New Approach to Aquaculture
Photo Credit: Gaëtan Bourque
It is estimated that 90% of large fish species (tuna, halibut, salmon, etc.) have collapsed due to unsustainable fishing methods and adverse water pollution. With our natural fish stocks dwindling by the day, it is inevitable that farming fish will be part of our future. However, current farms may have the wrong idea, as they try to provide more fish for less money. The liquidation of natural resources should have no place in our future businesses. People who are able to see the bigger picture, such as Miguel Medialdea, are finding new ways to keep fish on the menu.
In 1982 Medialdea purchased a failing cattle farm located on the Guadalquivir River in Spain. He removed the intricate system of canals, allowing the land to flood, and created a 27,000-acre fish farm. This farm is unique because it is a completely self-renewing system. The fish are not fed anything, and their growth is measured by the success of their predators. Medialdea estimates that birds eat 20% of the fish. While most business owners would shiver at the thought of losing 1/5 of their potential profit, Miguel confidently says, “I’m an expert on relationships.”
His methods seem be working. Veta La Palma is not only a successful fish farm, but also one of the largest private bird sanctuaries in Europe- home to 600,000 birds of 250 species. Not only does this miraculous ecosystem provide delicious fish for birds and humans, but also purifies the water that flows from the river. Veta la Palma supplies us with an excellent blueprint of how we can keep fish in the oceans, and on our menus.
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