What is the article about?

Breeding fish in a pond as a business is not the easiest thing, but it has good profitability.

• Fish farming methods
• What kind of fish is best to grow?
• Fish marketing channels
• The influence of seasonality on payback and financial results

Russia is a country rich in natural resources. It ranks second after Brazil in terms of water reserves. A large number of fresh water reservoirs allows for fish farming. This type of agriculture today is little developed among modern entrepreneurs, largely due to serious competition with foreign fish suppliers.

From a profitability point of view, breeding fish in a pond allows you to receive about 20% of net profit. This business can be done in both the southern and northern regions of the country. The zone of the Krasnodar Territory is more preferable.

In the article we will look at the features of fish breeding in a pond, find out why this particular breeding format is most preferable, calculate profitability, study growing technologies, and information about feeding.

Fish farming methods

There are 2 areas of fish breeding - in artificial and natural reservoirs. The latter option is quite difficult to implement due to serious administrative barriers. Renting a pond is very difficult. It will take time to collect papers and carry out approvals. And you can obtain the right to lease a specific reservoir only after winning a competitive bidding.

If an entrepreneur does not want to deal with all this paperwork, then he can independently create an artificial reservoir for keeping fish. Today it is grown in one of the following ways:

• in ponds (allows you to grow a large number of fish, including different species, has a high level of profit and lower financial costs);
• in swimming pools;
• cage breeding (usually this method is used for breeding large individuals);
• breeding in barrels and baths (almost always does not imply the possibility of making a big profit).

Businessmen who decide to seriously engage in fish farming settle on raising fish in a pond. This is the most promising and profitable method.

What kind of fish is best to grow?

Before choosing a place to breed fish, you need to decide what kind of fish to breed. The most popular on the market today are:

• trout;
• carp.

The ideal option is to grow fish of two of these varieties at once. But it is only available if you have a fairly significant initial capital. If this is not possible, then the following features should be taken into account:

As you can see, both breeding formats have their advantages and disadvantages, so the breeder must make the final decision himself, assessing the level of his knowledge, starting capital and responsibility.

Choosing a place for fish farming

Surely even novice fish breeders know that the rate of increase in the number and weight of individuals, as well as their health, depends on the level of water temperature and its acidity. It is quite difficult to assess these factors on your own, so it is better to use the services of a specialist who can give a fisheries biological justification at the end of his work.

The choice of location directly depends on the type of fish. For example, trout feels best at temperatures from 16 0 C to 19 0 C. It is better to keep it in a reservoir with a depth of at least 15 meters.

But carp is more thermophilic. It must be kept at a temperature of 24 0 C - 25 0 C. They do not require great depth. One and a half meters will be enough.

It is better to breed any fish in a drainage pond, so collecting specimens for further sale will be much easier.

Features of breeding fish in a pond

If an entrepreneur has already decided that he will breed fish in a pond, then he has several more unresolved questions. He must:

• choose a growing method;
• properly equip the reservoir;
• purchase the necessary equipment;
• develop a nutrition system in accordance with the recommendations of more experienced businessmen in this field.

The growth rate and further productivity of adult individuals will depend on the volume of food, the correctly selected climatic zone and the quality of water.

Fish breeding method

The growth rate of fish depends on the conditions and place of residence. If it is kept in a pond, then it takes about 1.5-2 years to grow. This is how long it takes for a fish to reach a significant mass. To breed individuals in a pond, you can use one of the following methods:

1. extensive (the fish eats food from the reservoir, no additional additives are used) - requires almost no ongoing investment from the businessman;
2. intensive (reclamation of the reservoir is carried out to enrich the feed, additionally using purchased feed) - requires greater investments than in the first method, but allows you to increase the growth rate.

In addition to methods, there are also several technologies for growing fish: traditional and continuous.

The traditional format consists of a growing cycle lasting 2 to 3 years. This technology is used for breeding exclusively herbivorous fish. This technique is not so common today, as it requires a long time. It consists of several stages, ending with the release of water from the pond. In this case, it is necessary to use several types of ponds - wintering, feeding, fry. During fish transplantation, high mortality rates are observed.

Increasingly, fish breeders today are using continuous technology, as it is much easier to use. According to this method, young animals are raised separately and then planted in a feeding pond for their further growth and reproduction.

Features of selecting a site for creating a pond

Fish farming is possible not only outside the city, but also within it, provided you have your own large plot of land. The presence of plants in the pond is a must. Under no circumstances should there be peat or silt at the bottom. It is important to make sure in advance that the reservoir is suitable specifically for growing and incubating, and not just keeping individuals.

You can choose the decorative elements of the pond at your discretion, but during construction you need to take into account the following tips from more experienced entrepreneurs involved in fish farming:

• the most suitable pond volume is from 30 to 50 m2, a smaller pond will need to be carefully monitored, and a larger pond will result in serious costs;
• the pond must be located in a low-lying area;
• There must be some shade so that the fish can hide in it during the hot season;
• It’s better not to make a flat bottom, but to make areas with thresholds and ledges;
• Each type of fish requires the creation of a reservoir with different types of soil.

What equipment will be required?

When breeding fish in an artificial pond, you cannot do without special equipment. The entrepreneur will need:

• gravity filter (will filter water, simple and easy to use);
• compressor (will saturate the water with oxygen);
• ultraviolet sterilizer (will not allow the pond to bloom).

Additionally, other devices may be needed; everything will depend on the type of fish being grown.

Diet

One of the most important factors for rapid growth is proper feeding of fish. There is no universal solution here. It all depends on the species being grown, because each variety has its own food preferences and grows to a certain size. Of course, a lot depends on the conditions of detention. If a businessman wants to accelerate the growth of individuals, then it is worth adding food rich in protein to the food.

Fish do not require large amounts of food. So, to increase weight by 1 kilogram, the diet must have a value of at least 4,500 kcal.

It is important to monitor the amount of amino acids in food, since they are the ones that cause appetite and directly affect the rate of weight gain. It also prevents many diseases in fish, especially fry.

A healthy diet should also include:

• vegetable and animal fats;
• fiber (the volume of its consumption depends on the type of fish being farmed, the minimum amount is 20%, for some species this value may be higher);
• biologically active substances (these can be enzymes or premixes);
• cereals (for example, you can add bran to the feed; they will be an excellent source of carbohydrates);
• vitamin B;
• products of meat origin (special flour, low-fat dairy products).

Such a balanced diet will allow the fish to grow quickly, maintaining their health and reproduction.

Diseases as causes of high fish mortality

Sometimes entrepreneurs underestimate the impact of diseases on the reproduction rate and mortality rate. But when breeding fish in a pond, the risk of disease is very high. That is why it is necessary to check the condition of individuals at least once every 10 days. Freshwater fish are most often characterized by the following diseases:

Name of the disease	Symptoms of the disease
Rubella	The eyes bulge, the skin becomes inflamed, dropsy begins, and small hemorrhages appear.
Gill rot	Death of the edges of the gill tissue, paleness of the gills. Large individuals refuse to eat and become inactive.
Discocotylosis	Injury to the gill tissue occurs. The disease is especially dangerous for young animals.
Ichthyophthiriasis	White bumps appear on the body.
Dactylogyrosis	Decreased activity level, exhaustion, anemia of the gills, sunken eyes. Usually appears during the hot season. Young individuals are most susceptible to this disease.

Fish marketing channels

Farmed fish are quite easy to sell. Most often, entrepreneurs use the following sales channels:

• fish shops and kiosks;
• supermarkets and small shops;
• restaurants;
• sales to local residents;
• Internet trading.

To have the right to sell fish, you must be officially registered. It is better to choose the Unified Agricultural Tax as a form of tax.

The impact of business seasonality on its payback and financial results

Fish farming in a pond is a seasonal business. Peak growth activity occurs in spring and summer. But even in winter, individuals need to be looked after: fed, made holes in the ice. Fish are usually sold in the autumn.

The cost of a kilogram of fish will depend on the selling season. The lowest prices will be in September, October and November. But in other months the cost will be slightly higher, which will allow you to get a higher profit for selling the same amount of fish.

It is the seasonality in this area of ​​entrepreneurship that is its main drawback, which negatively affects the development of individual farms. Real income is possible within just 3-4 months. All other periods of time you will need to make investments.

To ensure that the enterprise does not turn out to be unprofitable, it is necessary to think through all the nuances in advance and draw up a detailed business plan with accurate calculations. We must not forget that the level of competition in this area is very high, so working in the fishing industry is worth it to those who are confident in their abilities and are ready to work for results.

Due to seasonality, you will not be able to quickly return your investment. The payback period can reach 6-12 months. And without special knowledge in the fishing industry, you can even go into the red.

The main cost items will be:

• purchase of fry;
• purchase of feed and all kinds of additives to it;
• purchase of special equipment;
• costs of constructing a pond and maintaining it.

You can hope for high incomes only if the fish are properly maintained and cared for and their numbers constantly increase. This format of entrepreneurship requires special attention from the businessman or hired personnel.

Today there are many prejudices about artificially grown fish. Many believe that it is less useful and may contain harmful substances. In order to understand the mythology and reality of aquaculture, let's look at how aquaculture mechanisms work and what quality the resulting product is.
Aquaculture is the breeding and cultivation of aquatic organisms (fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae) in natural and artificial reservoirs, as well as on specially created marine plantations.

Myth 1: “Aquaculture products are always less healthy and tasty than wild fish”
In practice, it is almost impossible to detect external differences between fish grown in aquaculture (with the exception of those with pronounced selective characteristics, for example, mirror carp, golden trout) and those caught in natural reservoirs.
Moreover, in aquaculture, technologies are used that make it possible to grow fish, for example, with a given ratio of protein and fat, or the color of meat, or oysters of a certain taste!
There is no doubt that aquaculture products, especially those grown using feed, will taste different than wild fish or shrimp of the same species. However, for more than a century people have been using livestock and poultry products that were obtained on farms and in industrial farms. It also differs in taste from wild buffalo, wild boar and pheasant. But this is not an obstacle to the primary use of agricultural products in human nutrition.

Myth 2: “All farmed fish have an unpleasant odor.”
An unpleasant odor from products can be detected both in fish caught from natural reservoirs and in fish grown in aquaculture.
For example, this may be due to the fact that a pollutant (oil, phenol, etc.) was released into the reservoir. The smell will appear in fish that were in a natural reservoir and in those that were in a pond or pools into which water was pumped from this reservoir.
Of course, if fish farmers keep fish in water with unsatisfactory hydrochemical parameters, the smell of rot or sludge may be detected. But this, as a rule, is a rather rare situation, since low water quality leads to a decrease in the growth rate of fish, increased mortality, and a reduction in the volume of production.

Myth 3: “All aquaculture products are farmed in unsanitary conditions”
On the contrary, the owner of the enterprise is primarily interested in providing the most favorable conditions for maintaining and feeding his aquaculture objects!
From the point of view of product safety, aquaculture provides greater opportunities to ensure it, compared to catching in natural conditions. The entire process of growing aquaculture objects is under the supervision of veterinary specialists of the farm and regulatory authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, who are responsible, among other things, for the food safety of products.

Regardless of their origin (whether wild-caught or aquacultured), products that do not meet food safety requirements should not be allowed on the market!

How might the lack of aquaculture affect commercial fish?
Anthropogenic impacts of various types on aquatic biological resources are constantly increasing. The demand for food products of aquatic origin is also increasing. Their natural reserves are far from limitless.
A striking example of this is the problem with sturgeon species. If the technology for growing them in aquaculture had not been created in the middle of the twentieth century, they would have all disappeared long ago. That is, aquaculture not only reduces the fishing pressure on natural populations, but also contributes to the conservation of biological diversity.

Myth 4: “All fish farms use special additives and antibiotics when feeding”
The use of feed additives and veterinary drugs in aquaculture is less common than in livestock and poultry farming.
Veterinary drugs are used in aquaculture. But today, more and more attention in farms is paid to preventive agents (probiotics). When bacterial diseases occur, antibiotics are used as prescribed by veterinarians. The use of antibacterial drugs is limited to 30 days before the start of sale of such fish.
If technological regimes are observed and favorable feeding conditions are provided, the cultivated objects are highly productive and resistant to diseases and do not require additional growth stimulants or disease suppressants.
The content of residual amounts of antibiotics in fish and fish products and the maximum permissible levels of antibiotic residues in the production of food products from aquaculture facilities are limited by the “Unified Sanitary-Epidemiological and Hygienic Requirements for Goods Subject to Sanitary-Epidemiological Surveillance (Control)” in force in the Russian Federation. Therefore, even if certain drugs were used in the cultivation of aquaculture products, one should not talk about their negative impact on consumers of these products.
Currently, there is no system for mandatory informing consumers about whether fish is farmed or wild caught.

Myth 5: “Aquaculture products are cheaper because they are inferior”
It's more of a question of supply and demand. Both products from wild species and aquaculture products have their own pricing characteristics. At the same time, due to their biological value, fresh or chilled products are more useful. Fresh wild fish, especially for most urban residents living far from the sea coast, is a rarity or a seasonal product.
That is, almost always when you buy non-frozen fish, these are aquaculture products!
As the practice of many countries shows, aquaculture products of mass species (for example, salmon fish species, sea bass, sea bream, many others) have a lower cost compared to wild fish of the same species. But this is not due to the low quality of aquaculture products, but to the use of highly efficient technologies, feed, and competent logistics. All this allows us to reduce the cost of production and, accordingly, the price.
Conversely, the cost of oysters from aquaculture will be higher than that of wild ones. Consumers prefer a sink of regular shape, standard sizes, directionally shaped, and refined taste. All this can be obtained in large quantities only in aquaculture conditions. The cost of sturgeon aquaculture production is currently higher than the cost of poached fish and caviar.
That is, in the end, the right to choose remains with the consumers of the products!

What types of fish are most often grown artificially?
- Carp (domesticated form of carp)
- Sturgeon fish (Siberian sturgeon, sterlet, Russian sturgeon, sturgeon hybrids)
- Some types of salmon, such as trout
- Atlantic salmon (salmon)
- Whitefish species – peled, whitefish, nelma
- Herbivorous fish (cupids and silver carps).

Also objects of aquaculture are bivalves (mussels, oysters, scallops), crustaceans (shrimp, crayfish), echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea urchins), and aquatic plants.
In total, growing technologies have been developed for 64 aquaculture facilities in the Russian Federation.
At the same time, 250 species of aquatic biological resources are caught in the wild. If there is a high demand for a particular species against the backdrop of low numbers in natural conditions, technologies for its cultivation in aquaculture conditions can be developed within several years.

Alexander Ivanovich Nikolaev, Leading Researcher at the VNIRO Aquaculture Center
The Head of the VNIRO Aquaculture Center, Irina Vilenovna Burlachenko, also took part in the preparation of the material.

Every consumer should know the main aquaculture fish species in order to be aware of the consequences of their choice for their own health.

Salmonidae, undoubtedly, the most frequent and widely available representatives of the fish departments. In nature salmon lives in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean (the so-called Atlantic salmon); The lake variety of salmon in Russia inhabits the lakes of the Kola Peninsula and Karelia. However, up to 90% of salmon on the shelves of our stores are imported aquaculture products. Until recently, Norwegian salmon was the leader in terms of import volumes; now it is being replaced by Chilean and Canadian salmon.

Artificially bred trout eats special food with added fats, amino acids, vitamins and dyes. Thus, to achieve the traditional scarlet color of meat, the dye canthaxanthin is used, which, by the way, is prohibited by the European Union, but it is added to salmon feed without restrictions. As a result, fish grow to the same size, with “marketable” bright red meat. The problem is that the dyes used in most farmed salmon feeds negatively affect human vision.

Dorada is a traditional restaurant fish grown in Greece, France and Turkey. To achieve a delicate taste and the signature milky-white color of the meat, this fish is bred in rooms with special light and feed additives are used.

Seabass(aka sea wolf) is another fish beloved by restaurants for its delicate flavor and tender white meat. Wild sea bass is listed in the Red Book, so it is impossible to buy. All products are grown in fish farms, mainly in Turkey and Greece.

Pangasius(often called “sea tongue”) comes to us from Southeast Asia, where it is artificially bred in the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers, which have a reputation for being one of the most polluted rivers in the world. For this reason, in many countries in America and Europe, pangasius fillets are not recommended for consumption. In Russia, however, there are no restrictions or prohibitions.

tilapia It is supplied to Russia from the countries of Southeast Asia, primarily from China, where it is bred in natural and artificial reservoirs. Interestingly, when cultivating tilapia, farmers tend to produce only males, since males grow faster than females. For this purpose, juvenile fish are treated with male sex hormones. Tilapia is an omnivorous fish, which means that with artificial breeding it is difficult to expect high quality nutrition and, as a result, high quality meat. Of course, the manufacturer can kill the causative agents of various intestinal infections by freezing and numerous chemical treatments, but it’s not hard to imagine what quality the resulting product will be.

Sturgeon are also represented by cage products, since wild sturgeon fishing is prohibited. The populations of beluga, Russian sturgeon, Siberian sturgeon, stellate sturgeon and sterlet are in very poor condition; many species are listed in the Red Book. The reason for this was poaching, hydraulic construction and the development of oil production. When you come across large specimens of sturgeon for sale, you should understand that these are the prey of poachers, and buying them means supporting the illegal fishing of rare species. Sturgeon bred in captivity are small in size. Sturgeon meat is presented on the market in fresh, frozen, smoked and salted forms. But the main reason for sturgeon breeding, of course, is black caviar.

Carp, crucian carp and carp are bred in cages both in Russia and abroad. It is primarily the products of small domestic farmers that reach store shelves. And this is a big plus for the consumer: local producers often do not have enough funds to feed the fish with antibiotics and stimulants. Therefore, in terms of safety, they are head and shoulders above their foreign counterparts.

This should also include seafood- numerous types of shrimp, mussels, oysters, scallops, octopus, cuttlefish, lobsters, lobsters, langoustines, etc. More than 85% of seafood on the Russian market is aquatic and mariculture products. Growing up in captivity and fed with food containing hormones and growth stimulants, antibiotics, dyes and preservatives, seafood poses a real threat to human health, especially if consumed frequently.

Wild seafood is a valuable source of polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, iodine and taurine. But in the case of artificially grown seafood, talking about health benefits is blasphemy.

So what exactly is dangerous about farmed fish and seafood?

Currently, there are no strict requirements for the feed of aquaculture fish and the conditions for their maintenance. Therefore, the quality of feed, the safety of ingredients and dyes, as well as the dosage of medications remain at the discretion of the manufacturer. Thus, when checking batches of cage products, there are often cases of detection of harmful substances, such as nitrofuran and nalectin, which contribute to the development of cancer.

It is known that farmed salmon contains 10 times more polychlorinated biphenyl and dioxin than wild salmon. These substances accumulate in fish meat from the dyes and chemical drugs they eat. The danger of these substances for humans is that when they accumulate in the body, they suppress the immune system and provoke the development of cancer, damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. The mutagenic effect of these toxins has also been proven, that is, harm to the health of subsequent generations of people.

I try to eat exclusively plant foods, but I can’t give up fish and seafood. I love them very much, and therefore I am offended and scared to read about the fact that in reality fish can be not only not healthy, but also extremely dangerous. To reduce the health risks that may arise from eating fish and seafood, you need to follow several rules.

2. Unfortunately, wild fish are not doing well either. Today, the oceans and seas are extremely polluted and radioactive, and fish absorb toxic and radioactive substances that are dangerous to human health. Most of them accumulate in large fish. These hazardous substances include, for example, heavy metals and mercury. Mercury is a neurotoxin that causes people to lose memory, vision, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Doctors strongly recommend that pregnant women avoid products containing mercury, as it causes mental retardation, deafness, blindness and cerebral palsy in children.

Here is a list of fish that should be avoided completely as they contain the highest concentration of mercury: marlin, tilefish, swordfish (my husband's weakness, which caused high levels of mercury in his body), shark, king mackerel, bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna.

Fish from the following list can also be eaten in small portions no more than 6 times a month: striped bass and black bass, carp, Pacific cod, white croaker, Pacific and Atlantic halibut, lobster, dorado, monkfish, freshwater bass, sablefish, stingray, snapper, gray croaker, skipjack tuna.

Finally, it is recommended to eat fish from this list no more than twice a week (180 gram serving): anchovy, butterfish, catfish, bivalves, crabs, crayfish, croaker, haddock, hake, herring, Atlantic mackerel and Japanese mackerel, mullet, oysters, river and sea flounder, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, sole, squid, telapia, freshwater trout, “white” fish, hake.

3. When cooking fish, keep in mind that toxic substances are mainly found in fat, and it is better to choose cooking methods that involve rendering fat, such as grilling.

4. Avoid canned fish and any industrially processed fish. I hope there is no need to explain why)))

5. I also often get asked about sushi, because there is an opinion that it is a very healthy food. However, in light of the above, it is obvious that this is not the case. And one more thing: the combination of fish and rice (especially processed white rice) is very bad for digestion, so sushi or rolls are the wrong choice in a Japanese restaurant. It is better to choose sashimi - if you are not afraid of radiation and mercury))).

For reference:

For reference:

The richest in vitamins, minerals and omega-3 acids are sea fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, haddock, mackerel, pollack. Fatty fish species are of particular importance in the human diet: salmon, herring, mackerel. River fish - carp, carp, bream, crucian carp, perch, pike - are also rich in vitamins and minerals, but are inferior in fat content to sea fish.

The smell of fresh fish is slightly sweet, but not too fishy or muddy. Although some varieties of river fish (for example, catfish) may taste like mud. To get rid of this “aroma”, the fish is specially washed in cold salted water.

Do not ignore the fins: they should fit snugly to the body and not intertwine. If storage conditions have not been met, the fins will be positioned unnaturally and may also be damaged.

The tail of a good fish should be straight, not curled up or dry. The abdomen is flat, not swollen, without spots. If a gutted fish is placed in water, it should drown. This means that you were sold a really good fish. If it floats up belly up, you bought a low-quality product.

When purchasing chilled fish fillets, pay attention to how they are cut. The pieces should be even, and it should look dense.

Sardines (Sardinops sagax).



Tilapia.





Squid (Teuthida).

more about the program

With this material we continue the series of translated articles by Daniel Knowland (translations done independently), Jamie Oliver's scientific consultant on nutrition. The next essay is devoted to the topic of fish and how it is grown and caught in modern conditions, which fish are healthy and which are harmful, and how to choose them correctly. The second part of the post is information on the same topic, in particular about the situation in Russia, it is from other sources (list of references at the end of the post).

Artificial fish farming - all the pros and cons Today in the UK a huge amount of fish and seafood is grown in artificial conditions. Here it is necessary to make a reservation that any animal products, strictly speaking, are not completely natural, but humanity cannot do without breeding farm animals.
Modern society sets new standards for food consumption, and manufacturers have to take them into account. In this regard, the need arose for artificial fish breeding. In this article we will look at the positive and negative aspects of this activity. What is it for - breeding fish? There are still places on the globe where the main source of food is wild plants and meat of wild animals and birds. However, in developed countries this situation no longer occurs. Berries, mushrooms, hare or venison - these are, perhaps, all the types of “ungrown” products that can be found on the menu of a modern person. We are accustomed to the fact that meat, poultry, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and grains are produced mainly by agricultural enterprises. With fish and seafood the situation is somewhat different. Both commercial fish (caught in the natural environment) and artificially grown fish come to our table. As the world population grows, the demand for products rich in protein and, at the same time, affordable is also increasing. And the word “ocean” is increasingly associated with concepts such as “overfishing,” “endangered fish species,” and “environmental safety.” Indeed, as a result of many years of irresponsible attitude of the fishing industries of many countries towards the environment, the populations of some representatives of marine fauna have decreased significantly. Today, there is an active fight against overfishing. In addition, programs are underway to help consumers choose fish from sustainable sources. The most well-known organization in this area is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). However, despite some progress made, human activities continue to cause significant damage to the ocean ecosystem. Commercial fish populations continue to decline. This is especially true for such popular species as cod, haddock and tuna. As an alternative to traditional fishing, artificial fish farming has been actively developing over the past few decades (another name for this activity is “aquaculture”). Artificial fish farming in itself , the phenomenon is not new. But currently there is a real boom in this area. And new techniques and technologies can significantly reduce the degree of negative impact on the environment when using this method. What types of fish and seafood are grown in marine farms? Salmon, rainbow trout, sea bass, bream, pangasius (often called basa or river catfish), shrimp are the most common types of farmed fish and seafood. It is believed that today in developed countries, approximately half of all fish and seafood consumed is grown in fish farms. In UK supermarkets and restaurants you are likely to buy or be offered farmed salmon. Commercial salmon is much less common on sale, and it will cost much more.

What is artificial fish farming? Typically, the artificial breeding process looks like this: 1. Using selection, a parent is selected that is most suitable for artificial breeding. Fish eggs are placed in small tanks. The grown fry are then moved to larger tanks. There the fry are fed and are under constant supervision. 3. When the fry reach a weight of approximately 150 grams, they are moved to large ponds or fenced areas in the sea (such as those shown in the picture above). 4. Next, the fish receives concentrated food until it reaches the desired weight. Throughout the entire period, the condition of the fish is constantly monitored, often using underwater cameras. Once the desired weight is reached, the fish is sent to processing factories for subsequent gutting and packaging. Do all types of artificially farmed fish have similar consumer properties? It is difficult to find two absolutely identical livestock farms. The same can be said about fish farms. Each manufacturer has its own standards to ensure favorable conditions for keeping fish. Each farm uses its own methods to reduce its harmful impact on the environment. However, the lack of uniform standards makes life much more difficult for consumers. Eggs, chicken and pork produced with care for the environment have long ceased to be a rarity on store shelves. A wide range of products are available with Red Tractor, RSPCA Approved, Free Range and Organic labels. But with regard to artificially grown fish and seafood, we do not yet have such a choice. However, despite the lack of clear guidelines when choosing fish (for example, salmon), there is still some help for the buyer. There are various programs and organizations whose goal is to reduce the negative impact of fish farms on the environment. Some of them are listed below:

• RSPCA Assured. This program primarily involves checking fish conditions.
• Global G.A.P. Products bearing this label are tested to ensure they meet food safety and environmental standards. Also, the presence of a program certificate guarantees that the products are obtained from trusted manufacturers.

• “Best Aquaculture Practices” and “Board of Trustees of Fish Farms”

• (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) are comprehensive programs. Their goal is to reduce negative impacts on the environment, ensure environmentally safe and sustainable use of natural resources and improve food safety.

• Association of producers of pure organic products (Soil Association / Organic). This organization is mainly concerned with issues of environmental impact and the use of only organic fertilizers in agriculture.

Many UK retailers join one or more of the programs listed above. In this way, supermarkets demonstrate that they support environmentally friendly food production. How safe is fish farming in terms of environmental impact? Fish farms began breeding salmon in large quantities not so long ago: over the past few decades. However, the industry has developed at a rapid pace. And it was not immediately possible to fully understand the extent of the impact of such activities on the environment and human health. Over the past years, fish farms have made many mistakes. And the mistakes they made did not have the best impact on their reputation. There are known cases of fish escaping from cages. The result was the crossing of artificially bred and wild individuals. Other side effects include marine and underwater pollution, the use of unsustainable fish food, drug overdose and the use of questionable chemicals. The industry is still far from perfect. However, the mistakes of the past have not been in vain, and fish farms are undergoing major changes. New technologies have come to the rescue. Now it is possible to observe the behavior of fish and collect data on the state of the environment. Robotic systems monitor the optimal level of fish feeding and oxygen levels in the water. Much remains to be done to minimize the harm that fish farms cause to the ecosystems of nearby areas. For example, there is an opinion that artificial fish farming in inland waters (i.e. in specially built reservoirs on land) does not cause much damage to the environment. Therefore, the negative consequences of the activities of such fish farms often go unnoticed. The quality of feed is of great importance for environmentally safe fish farming. Large fish, such as salmon, naturally feed on smaller fish. Therefore, in fish farms, salmon are fed mainly with fish protein and fish oil. This food is made from commercial fish. The quality of farmed salmon directly depends on how environmentally friendly the fish it feeds are. The development of new technologies makes it possible to reduce the share of commercial fish in feed. This makes it possible to use marine resources more efficiently.

What kind of fish should you buy? A variety of environmentally friendly products in the diet is the key to a conscious approach to nutrition. We always recommend including a wide variety of fish and seafood in your diet. You shouldn't stop at just one type of fish. It's best to buy farmed fish and seafood, such as salmon, haddock or shrimp, from a trusted supplier. It would be a good idea to ask if there is a certificate for the product. Some supermarkets require a certificate (such as RSPCA Approved) for salmon products. For Jamie Oliver's restaurants and stores, we always buy fish from suppliers we have personally vetted. Or we choose products whose quality is confirmed by trustworthy certificates.
Completion of the translation of D. Knowland's article. Now let's turn to the Russian market The situation on the Russian market has changed greatly with the introduction of sanctions: before their introduction, 84% (!!!) of the red fish consumed was Norwegian salmon. Now the situation has changed: goods from Asia (mainly telapia and pangasius) are supplied to us from abroad; the source of salmon is the Faroe Islands and Chile; pollock, cod, haddock, catfish, sockeye salmon and a small proportion of salmon are supplied from the Far East and the Barents Sea. Only our domestic fish is commercial, caught at sea. The rest of the fish is the result of artificial breeding or a product of “aquaculture”. Why is only our fish commercially available? The answer is very simple: our country simply did not yet have special equipment and technologies for fish breeding. Now, with the introduction of sanctions, farms that raise salmon on an industrial scale are beginning to appear (for example, the Murmansk Salmon brand of the Russian Sea company), which purchase complete production cycles (equipment, feed, medicines) in Norway. The first harvest of 4 thousand tons of commercial salmon under the Murmansk Salmon brand in the Barents Sea began in June of this year and will end in October. Next year the company plans to receive 10 thousand tons of fish. By 2018–2020, it plans to produce 25 thousand tons of salmon. Let us emphasize once again that all equipment for the full cycle of fish breeding, including feed, is purchased in Norway.

So what is the problem with “aquaculture”? And everything would be fine, but too often recently voices have been heard that claim that artificial fish breeding is carried out with enormous violations.

Just as livestock was previously raised in Europe using large doses of antibiotics, fish is now raised. Not only antibiotics are used, but also pesticides, which are designed to clean up excessively polluted water bodies (link to the French research film at the end of the post). Believing it or not is a personal matter for everyone. But nutritionists still urge, if possible, to buy “wild” fish if you are not completely confident in the supplier of aquaculture fish. It turns out that from the point of view of modern nutrition, our domestic commercial fish can still potentially bring more health benefits.

But even “wild” fish can be harmful to health Recent studies show that even the meat of commercial fish is often contaminated with toxic chemicals: industrial enterprises actively release mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxin and other pollutants into the environment, which end up in the water and then through the food chain into fish. PCBs ( Plychlorobiphenyls): belong to the group of persistent organic pollutants, monitoring of which in air, water and soil is mandatory in developed industrial countries due to their high danger to the environment and public health.
PCBs were first produced in the United States by Monsanto in 1929. These are oily liquids that are not flammable and do not conduct electricity, but conduct heat well. PCBs are resistant to acids and alkalis.

Thanks to these properties, they are widely used as dielectrics in transformers and capacitors, as coolants in heat exchange systems, in hydraulic engineering, and are included in plasticizers, paints, varnishes, lubricating oils, plastics, copy paper, and additives in household chemicals. PCB production has almost completely ceased worldwide. For the speedy environmentally safe disposal of these substances, in 2001, most European countries signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The parties to this convention have committed themselves to completely neutralize PCBs available in their countries by 2028.

The best thing you can do for your health is to introduce smaller fish into your diet instead of medium and large ones (old and large ones usually contain more harmful substances) and shellfish, which are less likely to contain harmful substances. In the United States, the Department of Conservation and the Environmental Defense Fund regularly publish data on the content of chemicals harmful to human health in various types of popular seafood. In Russia, such monitoring does not exist. Below is a list of fish species in the waters of the world's oceans according to the degree of contamination with mercury and PCBs It is recommended to completely avoid: - Wild striped bass - Bonito (!!!) - American eel - King mackerel - Shark - Wild sturgeon (!!!) - Swordfish - Tuna (!!!) Consume rarely (less than 1 once a month): - Summer and winter flounder - Yellow perch - Bighead - Bigeye tuna Consume in moderation (less than 2 times a month): - Sea bass (an aquaculture object, this is the only one on sale in Russia, irina_co) - Blue crab - Grouper - Greenling - King mackerel - Salmon (aquaculture product) - Sea spotted trout - Snapper Consume more often (but less than 3 times a month): - Redtail snapper - Atlantic sturgeon - Blackfin tuna - Longfin tuna, canned - Yellowfin tuna Consume most often (4 once a month): - Anchovies - Catfish - Bivalves - Cod (Atlantic) - Crabs - Lobsters - Haddock - Halibut - Herring - Lobsters - Atlantic Mackerel - Dorada - Mussels - Oysters - Pollock - Sardines - Wild Salmon - Scallops - Shrimp - Sole - Squid - Tilapia - Trout - Muksun and other whitefish Unfortunately, in Russia, similar lists of the safety levels of different types of fish have not yet been created, so there is simply no place to find out about the level of a particular toxic substance in fish. The analyzes of the Roskontrol organization so far concern only the grade and volume of ice added to frozen products. Black Sea flounder Kalkan:

Fishing in the Barents Sea:

Sources:1. On PCB contamination of fish: Bret Blumenthal. A year lived right. 52 steps to a healthy lifestyle. Moscow. 2016. p. 215.2. About fish imported into the territory of the Russian Federation, about domestic aquaculture: About farmed salmon: “Fish of mass destruction”: link to the film by French journalists Nicolas Daniel and Louis de Baiberac_____________________________________________

"...NORWEGIAN SALMON IS THE MOST TOXIC FOOD IN THE WHOLE WORLD..."- quote from the film

The film is long, a full 50 minutes, but after watching it you will learn about many more aspects of consuming artificial fish imported from Asia and Norway. Most likely, you will not regret these 50 minutes spent. We plan to make a synopsis for this film in the near future due to the fact that the information covered in the film is very important, significant and little known. We managed to find this video in the wilds of the Internet with great difficulty:

What kind of fish is not grown artificially on farms?

Fish that is not artificially grown on farms and is not stuffed with antibiotics, growth stimulants, dyes, but is caught from natural reservoirs, seas, and oceans - these are pollock, catfish, flounder, perch, navaga, pink salmon, cod, sockeye salmon, saury, herring, chum salmon . The diet of artificially grown fish is poor; they do not have plankton or shrimp on the menu, which naturally affects the quality of the fish.

Cod is grown on a large scale in Norway!

There is a lot of cod in the Russian Federation from there, be careful

The well-known and beloved fish with such a cute name - HERRING - is not artificially grown on farms.

At least, I have not found information anywhere that herring is grown artificially. It turns out that this particular fish is less dangerous for our body than salmon, salmon, carp, dorado, pangasius and telapia. And this is only a part of those fish that are grown artificially.

When choosing fish, nutritionists advise buying one that has not been grown in fish farms. Such fish include: cod, saury, herring, pollock, pink salmon.

Such fish are considered more useful because, unlike their more well-fed relatives, they were not stuffed with GMO feed and/or antibiotics.

By the way, as an alternative, many summer residents are engaged in growing fish in nearby reservoirs. Crucian carp is especially well suited for such purposes, as it can adapt and reproduce well in almost any water. Tilapia grow well in captivity. It is better not to buy farm-raised fish often.

The site helps you choose fish and seafood that are least contaminated with heavy metals. It is also intended for those who prefer to eat food whose production does not harm the environment, so some types of fish for which there is no medical data are mentioned there simply because their farming does not harm the environment. Be careful and look for information about the degree of infection!

Upd: For readers from Russia: this site contains not only American information, it mentions many types of fish that are caught in Russia. By default, fish from the Russian catch are considered more contaminated, because Russia does not comply with international standards and does not allow inspectors, but in this case, the breed still decides, so if the fish does not accumulate mercury, then it will not accumulate it in Russia either.

Translate the name of the breed: Russian-English-Hebrew.

Types of fish you can eat:

Anchovies, northern (Engraulis mordax), European (Engraulis encrasicolus) and Japanese (Engraulis japonicus).

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer), except those grown in the Indo-Pacific region.
Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) raised in the USA.
Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), not made in China.
Rock lobster (Panulirus interruptus), only from California or Baja, Mexico City.
American lobster (Homarus americanus)
Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus).
Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus).
Sardines (Sardinops sagax).
Pagra, aka sea bream, aka tai (Pagrus pagrus).
Salmon (Salmo salar) wild, from Alaska. Farmed salmon and wild Washington salmon are contaminated with PCBs and are dangerous to eat more than once a month, and downright unhealthy to eat less often.
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus).
Tilapia.
Bivalves (Mya arenaria) grown in the USA.
Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) grown in the USA.
Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) farmed in the USA.
Sea scallops (Argopecten irradians).
Pink shrimp (Pandalus jordani).
Squid (Teuthida).

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). The site advises eating it, but in this case I can’t agree with the site - according to my information, not everything is so simple with cod.

Dungeon crab (Cancer magister). Infected with PCBs.
Light tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis). Mercury contamination, although less than in other types of tuna.
White halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis). Moderate mercury contamination.
Black sea bass (Centropristis striata). Moderate mercury contamination.
Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus). Moderate mercury contamination.
Monkfish (Lophius piscatorius). Mercury contamination.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Infection of PCBs.
Sea tongue (Parophrys vetula). Average contamination of PCBs.
Stingray (Leucoraja ocellata). Moderate mercury contamination.
Cuban yellowtail (Ocyurus chrysurus). Moderate mercury contamination.
Vermilion snapper. Moderate mercury contamination.
Snapper, various (Lutjanidae). Moderate mercury contamination.
Coalfish (Anoplopoma fimbria). Moderate mercury contamination.
Sea bass - rockfish. Moderate mercury contamination.
Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus). Moderate mercury contamination.

Fish that contains a large amount of hazardous substances (species are arranged in order of increasing harmful substances):

Hokhlach, also known as tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps). High levels of mercury.

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). High levels of mercury.
White albacore tuna. High levels of mercury.
Oysters (Crassostrea virginica). High infection rate of PCBs.
Moray eel (Conger conger). High levels of mercury.
Sea eel (Conger oceanicus). High levels of mercury.
Mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis). High levels of mercury.
Grouper (Epinephelus). High levels of mercury.
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri). High levels of mercury.
Gray croaker, walleye croaker, spotted croaker (Cynoscion nebulosus). High levels of both mercury and PCBs.
Spanish markel (Scomberomorus maculatus). High levels of mercury.
Toothed greener (Ophiodon elongatus). High levels of mercury.
Blue swimming crab (Callinectes sapidus). High levels of both mercury and PCBs.
Chilean Patagonian toothfish. High levels of mercury.
Orange bighead (Hoplostethus atlanticus). High levels of mercury.
Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). Very high levels of mercury.
Farmed salmon (Salmo salar). Very high level of contamination of PCBs, dangerous to eat more than once a month.
Salmon (Salmo salar), wild, from Washington. Very high level of contamination of PCBs, dangerous to eat more than once a month.
Red-finned opah (Lampris guttatus). Very high levels of mercury.
American flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus). Very high level of contamination of PCBs, dangerous to eat more than once a month.
Summer toothed flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). Very high level of contamination of PCBs, dangerous to eat more than once a month.
Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). Very high level of contamination of PCBs, dangerous to eat more than once a month.

Never eat the following types of fish, they are very dangerous (types are arranged in order of increasing harmful substances):

Swordfish. Contains dangerous amounts of mercury.

Shark. Contains dangerous amounts of mercury.
Marlin (Makaira). Contains dangerous amounts of mercury.
Common tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Contains dangerous amounts of mercury.
King mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla). Contains dangerous amounts of mercury.
Gray croaker (Cynoscion regalis). Contains hazardous amounts of mercury and PCBs.
Sturgeon. Contains hazardous amounts of mercury and PCBs.
Shad (Alosa sapidissima). Contains a dangerous amount of PCBs.
European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Contains a dangerous amount of PCBs.
American eel. Contains hazardous amounts of mercury and PCBs.
White croaker (Genyonemus lineatus). Contains a dangerous amount of PCBs.
Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix). Contains hazardous amounts of mercury and PCBs.
American striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Contains hazardous amounts of mercury and PCBs.
Greyback, elewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). Contains a dangerous amount of PCBs.

As far as I know, there are no similar lists in Russian (at least not on such a scale and not from such an authoritative source), so the dissemination of information is strongly encouraged.

I try to eat exclusively plant foods, but I can’t give up fish and seafood. I love them very much, and therefore I am offended and scared to read about the fact that in reality fish can be not only not healthy, but also extremely dangerous. To reduce the health risks that may arise from eating fish and seafood, you need to follow several rules.

2. Unfortunately, wild fish are not doing well either. Today, the oceans and seas are extremely polluted and radioactive, and fish absorb toxic and radioactive substances that are dangerous to human health. Most of them accumulate in large fish. These hazardous substances include, for example, heavy metals and mercury. Mercury is a neurotoxin that causes people to lose memory, vision, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Doctors strongly recommend that pregnant women avoid products containing mercury, as it causes mental retardation, deafness, blindness and cerebral palsy in children.

Here is a list of fish that should be avoided completely as they contain the highest concentration of mercury: marlin, tilefish, swordfish (my husband's weakness, which caused high levels of mercury in his body), shark, king mackerel, bigeye tuna and yellowfin tuna.

Fish from the following list can also be eaten in small portions no more than 6 times a month: striped bass and black bass, carp, Pacific cod, white croaker, Pacific and Atlantic halibut, lobster, dorado, monkfish, freshwater bass, sablefish, stingray, snapper, gray croaker, skipjack tuna.

Finally, it is recommended to eat fish from this list no more than twice a week (180 gram serving): anchovy, butterfish, catfish, bivalves, crabs, crayfish, croaker, haddock, hake, herring, Atlantic mackerel and Japanese mackerel, mullet, oysters, river and sea flounder, salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp, sole, squid, telapia, freshwater trout, “white” fish, hake.

3. When cooking fish, keep in mind that toxic substances are mainly found in fat, and it is better to choose cooking methods that involve rendering fat, such as grilling.

4. Avoid canned fish and any industrially processed fish. I hope there is no need to explain why)))

5. I also often get asked about sushi, because there is an opinion that it is a very healthy food. However, in light of the above, it is obvious that this is not the case. And one more thing: the combination of fish and rice (especially processed white rice) is very bad for digestion, so sushi or rolls are the wrong choice in a Japanese restaurant. It is better to choose sashimi - if you are not afraid of radiation and mercury))).

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Why the Far Eastern red fish swims abroad, and we are fed Chinese mutants

This year, for the first time in 100 years, the waters of the Far Eastern seas of Russia were simply teeming with salmon. But almost all of them escaped the hands of our consumers - for export. Russian pollock comes to us through the Chinese border - it returns poisoned and expensive. Instead of native salmon and pink salmon, Russians have imports artificially grown in dirty reservoirs on their tables. Why does our best fish go over the hill and why is broiler salmon dangerous?

Scientists predicted a “harvest” of valuable Pacific fish, but did not even think about such a scale. In Russia, a century-old record for salmon catch has been set - 253 thousand tons! It would seem that this is a gold mine: the country is provided with a tasty, healthy product and there is more than enough for export. Not so. On the piers of the Far East, pink salmon costs 30 rubles, but in our stores you won’t see your own salmon again: frozen carcasses from China and Vietnam, dyed Norwegian salmon for 400 rubles, exotic pangasius and tilapia. The length of Russia's maritime border is equal to the planet's equator - almost 40 thousand km; more than 250 species of fish are caught in our waters. But despite everything, fish do not feed the country.

A typical Moscow market with a giant fish pavilion. In the aquariums there are huge fish on the shelves, frozen in ice. Tuna from the Indian Ocean - 1.8 thousand rubles. for 1 kg, turbot from Portugal - 1.5 thousand, bream from Greece, salmon from Sweden, salmon from Norway, pangasius from the Mekong Valley - this is the geography. Where is Russia? Here she is, modestly huddled in the corner: Murmansk halibut for 400 rubles. looks at buyers ingratiatingly, as if apologizing for such a modest domestic contribution. Where are the salmon that teem with Russian northern waters? Experienced fishermen say: Russian ports are clogged with trawlers queuing to unload pink salmon rotting in their holds. Refrigerators on Sakhalin are overflowing - the catch is rich, but there is nowhere to store it. If a Norwegian trawler on average freezes up to 1000 tons of fish per day, then ours is only 50, and Russian salmon are given for yuan not because of a good life.

Pollock fillet from China

We don’t have normal transport routes to deliver native pink salmon from the Far East, say, to Tver,” explains Alexander Savelyev, head of the public relations center of Rosrybolovstvo. - Now it’s more profitable to export fish and buy from the Chinese, although the quality

leaves much to be desired. Vladivostok cannot process everything that Kamchatka is capable of producing; the goods remain in Primorye for three to four months before heading deeper into Russia. There are not enough refrigerators and rolling stock, and settlements with Moscow are taking a very long time. And the Japanese pay right away! In addition, no VAT is charged when selling fish abroad. Therefore, almost all large enterprises with their own refrigerated fleet send fish to Japan, Korea or China.
According to statistics, this year alone, the export of Russian pollock has increased 10 times, but its import is also growing, only from China - where pollock is not found.
- The Chinese feed us our own fish, only processed: they defrost it, fillet it, and package it beautifully. Isn't it absurd? - Savelyev concludes.
On the right is the Far East and 85 percent of the country's fish wealth, on the left - up to the Ural Range - 85 percent of the population. Even the government doesn’t know how to bridge the gap between goods and consumers, and it’s unclear why the domestic fish is rotting. The head of Rosrybolovstvo, Andrei Krainy, openly states that it is becoming unprofitable to catch many types of biological resources; it is cheaper to “stand against the wall in the port,” since in the pollock fishery the cost of fuel is approaching the cost of the catch. And for retailers, in turn, it is not profitable to sell cheap sea fish.
“Celin is initially 12 rubles, and then there are markups for logistics, and in Moscow it is already sold at retail for 80 rubles,” said the head of the federal agency. - Despite the fact that delivery of one kilogram of any fish from Murmansk, from the shores of the Barents Sea, costs two and a half to three rubles. When we tried to understand the pricing mechanism, retailers told us: they charge at that price. There is no alternative trading system. They say that their margin on food sales is on average 30 percent, and your capelin is three kopecks. Of Norwegian salmon, 30 percent is 150 rubles with the same labor costs.

Inedible "aquaculture"

The fish farm in Konakovo, Tver region, is the oldest in Russia. From there it is 140 km to Moscow. Salmon from here is even supplied to Uruguay for breeding; it is easier for it to get there than to the Russian consumer.
When we buy frozen imported pollock, we pay half for water. It turns out that our legislation provides for two GOSTs, one for Russian products, where the weight of the glaze should be no more than four percent; the presence of polyphosphates, which allow more water to be “pushed” into the carcass, is completely unacceptable. According to import GOST, fish imported from abroad can be glazed as much as your heart desires - twice, three times by dipping the fillet into water and freezing, each time increasing the weight of the product by 20 percent. That is why finding frozen domestic pollock on the counter is an impossible task.
Most often, pangasius and tilapia are bought in fish stores because they are tasty and not very expensive. This fish is brought to us from China and Vietnam - there it is bred on small farms. This is how salmon, sea bream, sea bass, sole, carp, pangasius, and tilapia are grown. Experts say that these foreign products are not really fish. It can be compared to broiler chicken. Artificial salmon are raised in special cages, where the fish live practically without movement, on growth stimulants, given food with dyes, which gives the meat a “selling” color, and pumped with antibiotics. Eating this fish is not only expensive, but also dangerous: it causes cancer, immune system failure, allergic reactions, and gastrointestinal diseases. Canthaxatin, which is added to artificial fish feed, causes vision problems. The European Union prohibits the sale of such fish on its territory, but in Russia it is possible.

Norway and Chile use artificial additives when growing fish. I personally don’t eat this kind of fish and I don’t recommend it to you,” the head of Rosrybolovstvo admitted in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda. - All salmon brought from our Far East are wild, they came from the Pacific Ocean and are environmentally friendly. Imported tilapia, pangasius - artificially grown “aquaculture”. This is very convenient for retailers: the manufacturer can grow fish of any size, by a certain date and of any color, even blue. I saw in China how tilapia is bred, and what kind of rubbish it swims in.
Andrey Krainy drew attention to the fact that wild fish is 25 to 30 percent more expensive than artificial fish, which can serve as a guideline in a store or restaurant. As for river fish, according to the head of Rosrybolovstvo, the cleanest are from Siberian rivers: broad white salmon, nelma, muksun.

Be careful, don't run into a fake

1. Do not buy fish with bright pink meat. The diet of artificial fish is incomplete; there are no shrimp or plankton, so the meat is pale.
2. Pay attention to the veins in the fillet. If they are white and not hot pink, no dye was used. If a fish has small fins and scarlet flesh, it means it has been stuffed with dyes and growth stimulants.
3. Unscrupulous manufacturers dissolve bones using so-called ripeners. Read the label: if it contains ripening agents, do not buy it.
4. To increase the weight of the product, polyphosphates are injected into the fish. This fillet looks smooth and shiny. If, after defrosting, a lot of water flows out when pressed, it means that polyphosphates were injected there.
5. Pressed fillets are usually sold in round or square briquettes. It's cheaper than usual. The fact is that the press goes through the remains of fish, small pieces without bones. Unscrupulous producers can make it from tails, heads and scales - they give themselves away as stains and dark spots on the fillet cut.
6. Smell the fillet. If it smells like ammonia, it was made from expired fish.

And again like new!

Sellers are allowed to write off no more than ten percent of spoiled products. Trade workers go to any lengths to deceive the buyer.

1. Re-glue the labels. The fish is repackaged every day and given a new date sticker.
2. Cheap varieties of fish are passed off as more expensive. Especially if the fish is not sold whole, but in pieces or in the form of fillets.
3. Frozen fish is thawed and passed off as chilled. If you don't buy it, you freeze it again. And so on several times.
4. Using lemon juice or vinegar, remove the smell of rotten fish and remove mucus.
5. Rotten fish have gills that turn gray or brownish. To hide evidence, they are tinted with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or red watercolor paint.
6. Soak in potassium permanganate and “liquid smoke”, making the rotten chilled fish “smoked”.
7. Marinate using a large amount of seasonings and fry the kebab.

Down with toxins
Place the fish in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the water. This will remove most of the toxins from the fish.

Yesterday I was still swimming
Only cod, which is caught all year round, can always be fresh. The fishing season for other fish species lasts no more than two months a year.