In two weeks The National Organics Standards Board is expected to vote in Washington on what kinds of fish can actually be labeled organic. Tell Washington what YOU think by signing a petition from the Consumer’s Union.
We’re all pretty clear on what “organic” means when it comes to vegetables, poultry and red meat, but what about fish? This is a question that has been on our radar for quite some time. There is a limited amount of seafood being sold as organic at stores in the US but oftentimes these products were certified in other countries.
The organic fish question still has us scratching our heads, because as of yet there has been no “official” organic designation when it comes to seafood in the US. That’s about to change.
The National Organics Standards Board is “recommending” that fish can be organic even if they’ve been fed wild fish. Thus wild fish that are carnivorous could be considered organic. This is controversial as many wild fish live in environments high in toxins such as mercury and PCB’s.
“If you can’t call a wild Alaska salmon true and organic,” asked Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, “what can you call organic?”
The board also recommends that fish raised in “open ocean net pens” should be labeled organic. These types of fish farms, however, are extremely polluting and release immense amounts of waste into the environment.
What’s encouraging, is that YOU can have a say in what standards are officially adopted for organic fish. The vote happens in two weeks, and the Consumer’s Union has created a petition addressed to the National Organics Standards Board. The petition asks that the organic fish label stand for as high a level of purity as possible. Read and sign the Consumer’s Union petition. And stay tuned for an update!
Source: Consumer’s Union, New York Times
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Meg Hamill
Meg Hamill has been working in the environmental non-profit field in Northern California for the past six years. She currently works as a naturalist for LandPaths (in partnership with the Open Space District) in Santa Rosa California. She teaches poetry in the public school through California Poets in the Schools (CPITS) and has traveled extensively throughout South and Central America, picking up Spanish along the way. In 1999 she completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Meg holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has published two books of political/environmental poetry. Read more, buy books and e-mail Meg at www.meghamill.com.
One Response to America to Decide: What is Organic Fish?
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Please give us a “print article” option- I’d like to print this out to remind me to follow up. I don’t want to print out all your links and ads, though- that’s a waste of paper and ink. Thanks very much!