Douglas Carswell's Blog

The fish farming revolution

One of my great interests outside of politics is aquaculture.  I was thrilled to be able to spend this morning at the London Biomarine Convention listening to some of the great minds in the business. 

For most of human history, most of the fish that we ate was caught from the wild.  Over the past generation or so this has begun to change, and we are getting to the stage where soon most fish will be farmed.  This could be transformational stuff, providing a source of cheap protein to millions of people much the way that innovations in poultry farming did in the mid twentieth century. 

All sorts of fascinating innovations are starting to happen.  Instead of feeding farmed fish chopped up wild fish, folk are finding alternative sources of protein.  Techniques that once caused mega environmental harm are being replaced by farming methods that produce more for less, with minimal damage to the eco system.

While acquaculture is taking off worldwide, alas in Europe the sector has stagnated - except of course in non-EU Norway.  Why?

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it apparently takes an acquaculture project in Europe around three years to get official approval.  In Vietnam it takes three months.

Politics again, eh ....

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