The American Soy Association has been lobbying legislators to include genetically engineered soy under offshore fish-farming regulations, according to a new report by the nonprofit environmental watchdog Food & Water Watch. Currently, about 94% of soy grown in the United States is genetically engineered to survive heavy sprayings of pesticides—and some finished soy products contain high amounts of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller. (And yes, you’re eating it; a recent study found glyphosate in human urine samples, which is bad news considering Roundup has been linked to lowered nutrient content in food, and health problems like infertility and obesity.) 12 Fish To Stay Away From The new report outlines how using GMO-soy fish feed in ocean fish farms could harm ocean habitat, fish, and consumers. “Our seas are not Roundup-ready,” says Wenonah Hauter, MS, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “Soy is being promoted as a better alternative to feed made from wild fish, but this model will transfer massive industrial farming models into our oceans and further exacerbate the havoc wreaked by the soy industry on land,” she says. Like cows and other livestock, the digestive system of fish doesn’t easily process soy, say experts. What that means for you is less-nutritious fish and potentially serious ocean pollution. To put it simply, some farmed fish are raised at incredible densities, and are fed with the intention of growing them quickly to market size. More food also means a lot more excrement, which pollutes the water and can lead to disease. What You Need To Know About GMOs Of course, converting wild-caught fish into fishmeal does stress the ocean—it takes 25 pounds of wild fish to add one pound of weight to a bluefin tuna raised on a fish farm, for instance—but experts say turning to GMO soy isn’t the answer. While lobbyists and environmental groups continue to battle it out, you can do your part by seeking out and supporting safer seafood options, including:
Domestic farmed shellfish “They don’t need wild-caught fish, and they can actually be beneficial to the water they’re raised in by acting as a filtration system to clean the water,” says Monterey Bay aquarium spokeswoman Alison Barratt.Wild-caught Alaskan salmon High in good-for-you omega-3s and low in contaminants like mercury and PCBs, this salmon is a healthy choice for you and for the oceans.Farmed arctic char Most arctic char sold in the United States is farmed in clean, land-based tanks, as opposed to dirty ocean-water pens.
