Fish that are not artificially farmed. Salmon farming. Salmon is raised on feed, and pink salmon is natural

For reference:

For reference:

Richest in vitamins, minerals and omega-3 acids sea ​​fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, haddock, horse mackerel, pollock. 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).

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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? On globe There are still some corners 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 modern man. 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 behavior by the fishing industries of many countries 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 the negative impact on the environment, ensure environmentally safe and rational use 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 started breeding salmon in large quantities not so long ago: within a few last 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 environmentally unsafe 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 the most fish and seafood in your diet. different types. 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 Russian market changed very much 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 are supplied to us from abroad (mainly telapia and pangasius), 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, salmon farms are beginning to appear in industrial scale(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 huge 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 enter the water and then through the food chain into fish. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls): belong to a group of persistent organic pollutants that are monitored 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 - Dorado - 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 healthy image life. 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 decides in this case after all, it is a breed, 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.

Dungeness 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 level mercury content.
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 higher level mercury in its 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 am also often asked about sushi, because there is an opinion that it is 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 here it is, a gold mine: the country is provided with tasty, useful product and there will be 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 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.

Salmon fish are our national treasure. In terms of species diversity of salmon, the size of their populations, and the size of their spawning areas, Russia has no equal. In the world, 800 - 1,000 thousand tons of salmon are caught annually, and more than 80% of the catch is provided by the Pacific Ocean basin. Undoubtedly, there are immediate reserves for the exploitation of natural salmon populations, first of all, this is the rationalization of fishing. However, a fundamental step needs to be taken from traditional fisheries to aquaculture. The most valuable and promising cultivation objects for the Far Eastern region are pink salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, masu salmon, sockeye salmon, Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon and rainbow trout.

Pink salmon Onchorhynchus gorbuscha (Figure 12) Pink Salmon, Humpback

Figure 12

Belongs to the genus of Pacific salmon, living in the North Pacific Ocean. It goes to river mouths to spawn. After spawning it dies. Distributed along the Chukchi coast to the Bering Strait and south to Peter the Great Bay inclusive; along the American coast to the river. Sacramento.

Small scales are characteristic, with 177-235 scales in the lateral line. There are 26-33 gill rakers. In the marine period of life, the color is silvery with a darker back and dark spots on the caudal fin. Juveniles are silvery in color without spots. During the period of migration and spawning (in the river), the color darkens, dark spots cover the back, sides and head; by the time of spawning, the head and fins become almost black, and the entire body becomes brown, except for the belly, which remains white. The male grows a “hump,” which gives the species its name. Large teeth appear on the male's jaws, the intermaxillary bones lengthen and the end of the snout bends downward in a hook-like manner, and the lower jaw also lengthens. Dwarf males are rare. Like all species of the genus, it builds “nests” from pebbles - mounds with developing eggs. Its caviar is large (5.5–8 mm in diameter), but paler in color and with a shell that is more durable than that of chum salmon eggs. 2–3 months after the death of the parents, fry emerge from the eggs and remain in the mound until spring. In spring they roll into the sea, reaching 3–3.5 cm in length.

Pink salmon is a relatively small salmon; it rarely reaches 68 cm in length, but its small size is compensated by its abundance.

In the sea, pink salmon feed actively, and choose more high-calorie food than chum salmon. While chum salmon's food consists of more than 50% pteropods and tunicates, pink salmon prefers small fish, fry (30%) and crustaceans (50%). Therefore, it grows and matures unusually quickly: 18 months after escaping into the sea, it returns to the rivers to lay eggs and die.

It winters in those areas of the ocean where the surface temperature does not drop below 5° C. This circumstance, apparently, also contributes to its rapid growth. Along with chum salmon, pink salmon is a popular fishery target. For example, in Kamchatka its catches account for 80% of the total salmon catch. Pink salmon is the main object of salmon farming in our country. Pink salmon caviar is smaller than chum salmon. In terms of meat quality, pink salmon is somewhat inferior to other salmon.

Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch (Figure 13)
Coho Salmon (Silver, Medium Red)

Figure 13

Belongs to the genus of Pacific salmon, living in the North Pacific Ocean. Found in Kamchatka, in the Bering Sea. An anadromous species that easily forms residential forms (there are dwarf males). It goes to river mouths to spawn. After spawning it dies.

On the Kola Peninsula (Knyazhegubsky fish hatchery) in the 70s. Successful work was carried out on growing individuals of this species in ponds with sea water.

Coho salmon is clearly distinguished from other salmon by its bright silvery scales (hence the Japanese and American name “silver salmon” and our old “white fish”). The tail stalk of coho salmon is tall. The sides of the body are above the lateral line; the back and upper rays of the caudal fin are covered with dark spots. The length of coho salmon reaches 84 cm, the average size is 60 cm. Alaskan coho salmon is slightly larger than Kamchatka salmon. Coho salmon enter rivers later than other salmon and spawn from early September to March, often under the ice. During spawning, both males and females turn dark crimson. The fry, like those of red and chinook salmon, roll into the sea after one or two years of living in rivers. Coho salmon live short lives in the sea and become sexually mature already in the third year. Coho salmon is the most heat-loving of all Pacific salmon: it winters at a temperature of 5.5 - 9 ° C, south of pink salmon.

During the marine period, the body color is even with small dark spots, the fins are light. Scales in the lateral line are 120-140. There are 19-23 gill rakers. The anal fin has 16-19 soft rays.

Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta ( Figure 14)

Figure 14

The most widespread and widespread species of Far Eastern salmon. Chum salmon is widespread on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, from San Francisco to the Bering Strait along the American coast and from Providence Bay to Peter the Great Bay and the river. Tumen-Ula in Asian style. It differs from other species of this genus in the large number of pyloric appendages (up to 185), the number of gill rakers is 19–25, and the number of gill rays is 12–15. In marine plumage (silver chum salmon) it has a silvery color, without stripes or spots; the bases of the rays of the caudal fin are also silver. In the river, the color changes to brownish-yellow, with dark purple or dark crimson stripes (variegated chum salmon, or half-catfish). It goes to river mouths to spawn. After spawning it dies. By the time of spawning, the body of chum salmon, as well as the palate, tongue and bases of the gill arches become completely black. The teeth, especially in the male, enlarge (chum catfish), and the meat becomes completely lean, whitish and flabby. Chum salmon enters rivers at the 3–5th year of life.

The average length of the running chum salmon on Sakhalin is 61–65 cm, weight 2.7–3.3 kg; further north the chum salmon are larger. For spawning grounds, chum salmon choose quiet areas of small rivers, the bottom of which is covered with small pebbles and gravel. The eggs of chum salmon are large, 6.5×9.1 mm in diameter. The eggs are laid in holes knocked out in the ground, after which the female pours a gravel mound over them, up to 2–3 m long and 1.5–2 m wide. The fry that emerge from the eggs emerge from the spawning mounds in the spring and, without stopping in the river, roll into the sea . In chum salmon, the forms that mature in fresh water are unknown. In the rivers of America, sometimes prematurely matured males are found, but they also come into the rivers from the sea.

Of the red caviar, chum salmon is the most prized.

Sockeye salmon (red fish) Oncorhynchus nerka (Figure 15) Sockeye Salmon; Red Salmon; Blueback

Figure 15

Belongs to the genus of Pacific salmon. It lives in the northern waters of the Pacific Ocean and enters rivers and lakes from Kamchatka to the southern Kuril Islands to spawn. Along the American coast it is much more widespread, especially in Alaska, and extends south to California. Representatives of the migratory form spawn in lakes near the outlets of springs and springs. After spawning it dies. There are freshwater (lake) populations.

It is easily distinguished from other species of the genus Oncorhynchus by its numerous (30–40) densely seated gill rakers. Sockeye salmon meat is not pink, like other salmon, but intensely red in color and has excellent taste. At sea it is silver, and only its back is painted dark blue. The mating plumage is very impressive: the back and sides become bright red during this period, the head is green, the dorsal and anal fins are painted bloody. There is little black color, common in the breeding plumage of chum salmon and pink salmon; Only in a sexually mature male do black spots appear at the end of the caudal fin, and sometimes in females there are dark transverse stripes on the body. Medium sized scales. There are 130-145 scales in the lateral line, but not more than 150. The gill rakers are very dense, usually there are 30-40 of them.

Sockeye salmon is a more cold-loving species and is not found in the sea at surface temperatures above 2°C. Sockeye salmon caviar is smaller (4.7 mm), intensely red. This fish enters the rivers quite early, in Kamchatka at the end of May - June. Spawning lasts until the end of summer, on Bering Island until December. Young sockeye salmon emerge from eggs in mid-winter, but remain in the mounds until March. Unlike chum and pink salmon, fry live in fresh water for a long time. Most migrate to the sea only the next year after hatching, having reached 7–12 cm in length, some stay for 2 or 3 years, only a few leave for sea pastures in the same summer. The red one most often becomes sexually mature in the 5th–6th year of life. In the sea, sockeye salmon feed mainly on crustaceans. Of all the salmon, she especially prefers the relatively small, but very fatty calanid crustaceans, colored red with carotenoid pigments. These pigments pass from swallowed crustaceans into sockeye salmon meat. The remarkable ability of sockeye salmon is to form residential forms that mature in fresh water. They are widespread in the lakes of America, and in our country the red residential form was found in the Kronotsky, Nachikinskoye, Dalny and Nlye lakes of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

In the USA, Canada and Japan, resident sockeye salmon are often bred as sport fisheries. In favorable conditions, it can reach 700 g in weight and is a desirable prey for the amateur fisherman. Natural canned sockeye salmon is highly valued for its exquisite delicate taste and rich color of meat.

Blue masu, Oncorhynchus masu (Figure 16)

The very first of the migratory salmon enter rivers to spawn, rising high upstream.

The only Pacific salmon found only along the Asian coast. Sima enters the rivers of Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Hokkaido and Hondo, and goes south along the mainland coast to Fuzan and the river. Tumen-Ula.

In Japan, masu salmon breeding is highly developed, since it returns exactly to where it grew up and is well suited for raising young fish in fish hatcheries - due to this, it has a much higher return rate compared to pink salmon and chum salmon. In addition to this, the Sim has better taste, etc. - all this makes breeding masu salmon very profitable and promising. Externally, masu salmon are similar to coho salmon, only its anal fin is more notched and dark transverse stripes run along the body even in adult fish. It differs from pink salmon in having longer stamens, and from chum salmon in having smaller scales, smaller fins and teeth. On the body of a young salmon (often also an adult) there are large transverse stripes 8 - 11; for masu entering the river they are light crimson in color, while for spawning masu they are darker. There are small black round spots on the back. Body height 28-31% of length. During the spawning period, males develop a hump, the upper jaw lengthens and curves into a hook. Side line - 130-140. There are 18-22 gill rakers. Gill rays 11-15.

Figure 16

Forms residential freshwater forms that never go to sea (waters of Formosa, Japan, Korea).

The migratory mama lives in the sea and breeds in rivers. It spawns once in its life, after which it dies. Spawning in the Amur occurs from late July to mid-August; in Khasansky district - in September; in Japan - in September-October. Spawning occurs at a temperature of 7-12°C, on fine-pebble soil into which the eggs are buried.

Fertility - 1.4-5.2 thousand eggs, on average 3.2 thousand. Juveniles stay in the river for a year or more and reach a length of over 10 cm, which contributes to significantly greater survival when going to sea, as well as very rapid growth compared to other Pacific salmon (the Japanese believe that Shima grows by feeding in the sea for only one year). Reaches a length of 71 cm and a weight of 9 kg, on average 46-67 cm. It usually matures in the third, less often in the fourth year of life.

Salmon, Atlantic Salmon, noble Salmo salar (Figure 17) Atlantic Salmon

Figure 17

Belongs to the genus of common salmon. It lives in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean and enters the rivers of the Baltic, Barents and White Seas to spawn. Also found in river basins of the European north. The most valuable fishery object. It is bred in a number of fish hatcheries.

Large migratory fish that forms spring and winter races. After spawning it does not die. The body is elongated, slightly laterally compressed, typical trout-like. Reaches a length of 1.5 m and a weight of 36-40 kg. The greatest height of the body is in the area of ​​the dorsal fin. The maxillary bone in adult specimens practically does not extend beyond the posterior edge of the eye. There are 17-24 gill rakers, they are thin, without a club-shaped expansion at the end. The number of rows of scales from the end of the adipose fin to the lateral line is 11-15. The dorsal fin has 10-12 main rays, the anal fin has 8-11. The caudal peduncle is very low and the caudal fin is slightly notched. Representatives of the genus are distinguished by a small number of teeth (on the upper palate in sinuous rows) and the presence of a small number of branched rays in the anal fin. The body color of adult fish is silver, the back is green or blue with numerous dark X-shaped spots scattered above the lateral line and rarely above the bases of the pectoral fins, the belly is white. Below the lateral line there are few or no spots. Juveniles are dark in color with 8-10 wide transverse stripes on the sides and reddish spots under them. Breeding plumage - darker coloring (brown or bronze with red spots and dark fins). Spawned individuals are very dark in color.

Reaches a length of 1.5 m and a weight of 40 kg. Salmon is one of the most famous and valuable fish of the North Atlantic, one of the most expensive fish on the world market.

Salmon in the sea feeds on small fish and crustaceans, and when entering rivers to spawn, they stop feeding and lose a lot of weight. The mating plumage is expressed in the darkening of the body and the appearance of red and orange spots on the sides of the body and head. In males, the jaws lengthen and curve, upper jaw a hook-shaped protrusion is formed that fits into the notch on the lower jaw. There are several species of the genus Salmo in the Pacific basin, but they are few in number compared to the Pacific salmon of the genus Oncorhynchus.

The water temperature at salmon spawning grounds in winter does not exceed 6° C, so eggs develop slowly. Only in May do the young hatch from the eggs, and then live in fresh water for a long time.

In the sea, salmon grow extremely quickly. If in 3 years of life in the river the parr grows by 10 cm, then in one year of life in the sea it adds 23–24 cm (data for the Ponoi River).

Chinook salmon. Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Figure 18)
Chinook Salmon (Salmon, King or Spring)

The largest and most valuable of the Pacific salmon. Passage view. After spawning it dies. The average size of running chinook salmon is 90 cm, but there are also significantly larger specimens, reaching more than 50 kg of weight. In Asian waters it lives in the Anadyr River, Kamchatka, Commander Islands, Amur and northern Hokkaido. Most abundant in rivers

Figure 18

Kamchatka, in other areas there are few. Along the American coast it is distributed from southern California to Kotzebue Sound, including the Aleutian Islands and in the Artic to the Coppermine River. In the Kamchatka River, individuals with a length of 78 to 103 cm and a weight of 5.5-17.0 kg are mainly caught.

Of all the species of the genus, Chinook salmon have less pronounced sexual dimorphism and mating plumage. At sea, the body color is silvery with small rounded dark spots on the back, dorsal and caudal fins. The scales are large, with 135-155 scales in the lateral line. The anal fin consists of 18-19 soft rays. There are 23-27 gill rakers.

It becomes sexually mature between the ages of 4 and 7 years. The start of spawning occurs earlier than in other Far Eastern salmon. In the rivers of Kamchatka, breeding begins from June 25-30 and ends in the first half of August. In the Sacramento River (North America) it spawns from July to December, and there are two clearly defined runs: summer and autumn. To reproduce, Chinook salmon enter large rivers, along which they often ascend enormous distances (up to 4 thousand km). Fecundity in the Kamchatka River varies from 4.5 thousand to 14.0 thousand eggs (average 8.3). Juvenile anadromous Chinook salmon migrate to the sea in the year of hatching or in smaller numbers in the second year of life, lingering for a long time in river mouths and coastal waters. Juveniles in the river feed on aerial insects and their larvae, crustaceans and juvenile fish. In the sea, the diet of Chinook salmon consists of planktonic crustaceans, small fish and squid.

Rainbow trout. Salmo gairdneri (Figure 19)

Figure 19

Rainbow trout are a freshwater form of steelhead. Its homeland is the fresh waters of the Pacific coast of North America. Subsequently, it was acclimatized in many countries of the world, including the USSR. It is a widespread object of pond and lake fish farming.

The body of trout, like all salmon, is well adapted to overcome strong currents. Body color changes depending on the soil, water transparency and other environmental factors. The belly is usually silvery-white and the back is greenish. There are numerous dark spots on the body and fins. Rainbow trout get their name from the crimson-red stripe that runs along the lateral line of adults.

During the spawning period, the lateral stripe of males becomes much brighter. The body of the fish becomes darker in color. The female has additional colors with purple tints on her body. At any other time, it is almost impossible to distinguish males from females.

Trout is a cold-water fish. Prefers clean, clear waters. The optimal environmental parameters in which growth and development are most successful are water temperature 14-20 ° C and oxygen content 7-8 mg/l. Trout avoids brightly lit areas, hides in the shadows, and goes deeper. A long stay in the light causes the trout to become depressed, and the eggs and fry die. Therefore, it is most active on cloudy days, as well as in the evening and morning hours.

Sexual maturity in females occurs at 3-4 years of age and varies depending on the location of the reservoir, climatic conditions area, and therefore the thermal regime of the reservoir. Males mature a year earlier than females. Spawning takes place from March to May in the upper reaches of rivers and streams, in shallow areas with fast currents on rocky and pebble soil. The female lays from 500 to 2500 yellowish-orange eggs. The caviar is large, 4-6.5 mm in diameter. The process of egg development lasts 1.5-2 months.

In natural reservoirs of the region, trout reach 40-50 cm in length and 0.8-1.6 kg in weight. In ponds and cages, provided that they are constantly fed with artificial feed and fed with natural food, it quickly increases its body weight to 6-8 kg. Life expectancy, apparently, is no more than 11-12 years.

Adult trout are predators. Its diet includes fish (tops, minnows, Siberian sculpin, dace, etc.), frogs, bird chicks, and rodents. Sometimes it eats its own young. It also feeds on gammarus, mollusks, larvae and adult insects.

The main breeding objects in the Russian Far East are chum salmon and pink salmon. When reared on pasture in factory conditions, only early stages life cycle of salmon, juveniles are kept in nurseries only to the stage that ensures their optimal survival, and then released to feed at sea.

In Japan, in Hokkaido and northern Honshu, there are more than 300 fish hatcheries, which annually produce about 1.5 billion fish. grown juvenile chum salmon. Thanks to these events, the number of chum salmon approaching the Japanese shores has increased more than 10 times, and the annual catch is about 150 thousand tons. Moreover, more than 90% of the catch is salmon of hatchery origin.

Due to the current natural and socio-economic conditions, the strategy for the development of salmon farms in Russia may be different than in Japan or Norway - the leading countries in this area. The reasons for this are: firstly, the spawning stock of salmon fish is disproportionately larger than in these countries. That is, unlike the Japanese, we have an alternative - natural reproduction; secondly, the sharp increase in salmon fish requires a large number of qualified personnel, which cannot be expected in the near future.

Optimally, according to the Salmon program, it is planned to build several dozen new fish factories, as a result of which salmon of hatchery origin will make up no more than 20-25% of the catch. With good organization of pasture fish farming, the costs pay off handsomely. 1 kg of feed used to feed growing juveniles gives up to 5 kg of delicacy products after chum salmon are fed in the sea. Thanks to the activities of fish hatcheries, the commercial return increases from 1.5% (in natural conditions) to 3-4% and even 12-15% for some species.

A simple relationship is observed: the longer juvenile salmon are under the control of fish farmers, the higher the efficiency of their rearing. Pink salmon, which has the shortest freshwater period, is the most “ungrateful object” for cultivation. Therefore, in Japan and Canada, its juveniles account for 1-3% of all fish produced. In our country, more than half of the juveniles released are pink salmon. It is obvious that it is more profitable to increase the cultivation of others valuable species salmon: chum salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon.

Currently, there are 20 fish hatcheries operating in the Far East. Most of them are on Sakhalin, a few are on the river. Amur, two in Primorye and one in Kamchatka. The planned release of juveniles annually is about 2 billion specimens, but about 500 million specimens were actually released. This is explained by the backward technical equipment of factories, the unsatisfactory state of the food supply and other factors of the socio-economic aspect.

For the Primorsky Territory, the construction of about 10 fish hatcheries will increase salmon production to 4 thousand tons, which is a small fraction of the total catch of these fish in the Far East.

Problems and negative aspects of pasture-based fish farming.

1. There is an opinion that juveniles obtained in hatchery conditions sharply reduce the number of juveniles obtained in natural conditions. This is due to intraspecific and interspecific food competition, cannibalism, and densification of feeding and spawning populations

2. Populations created artificially have lost their natural biological diversity, which negatively affects their overall viability.

3. Experimental work has established that in juvenile salmon raised in pools and ponds of fish hatcheries, compared with juveniles of natural reproduction, there is underdevelopment of the central nervous system. This causes reduced swimming ability and the absence of a pronounced defensive reaction against predators

4. At domestic hatcheries, pollock caviar is currently the main food for juveniles. At the same time, it has been experimentally proven that when it is used in juveniles, liver degeneration of varying degrees of severity develops, pathological changes in the stomach and intestines are observed, and deviations in the blood count are noted. All these changes reach a critical level by the time the juveniles are transferred to sea water. It is at this time that the juveniles escape the control of fish farmers and the illusion of a successful completion of the fish farming process is created.

Intensification of natural salmon reproduction. When planning expanded salmon farming, it is necessary to make maximum use of natural reproduction opportunities. Under natural conditions, there may be a number of factors limiting the process of effective fish spawning, which can be eliminated or the degree of their negative impact can be reduced (Table 2).

It is necessary to assess the possible number of chum salmon spawners on natural spawning grounds. This is done according to the formula:

P = SH2

where P is the number of producers, pcs.; 2 – number of producers in the nest (male and female); 3 – area of ​​one nest sq.m; S - area of ​​spawning grounds in sq.m

Skipping excess spawners leads to digging up spawning mounds and reducing the efficiency of reproduction.

To create a sustainable population of chum salmon with high numbers, it is necessary to reproduce all their genetic diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to allow spawners to spawn and use them for hatchery conditions in the following proportion: 25% of spawners from the head part of the population, 50% from the central part and 25% from the tail part.

The average fecundity of chum salmon ranges from 1,200 to 4,000 eggs. During embryogenesis, 50-75% of the offspring die. From the remaining viable juveniles the return is about 1%. In this way, it is possible to estimate the approximate fishing expectations on a given river during natural reproduction.

Requirements for the quality and composition of water can be found in specialized literature.

Optimal temperatures for organizing salmon farming in freshwater sources should be 3-8°C, for the release of juveniles into the sea: 5-8°C.

At a temperature of about -0.9°C, the blood serum of salmon freezes and the fish die. This should not be forgotten, since winter months The temperature of sea coastal waters is about -1.5-1.8°C.

A chum salmon production plant is built in cases where there are not enough natural spawning grounds.

Table 2. Factors limiting the natural reproduction of chum salmon and measures to eliminate them

Factors limiting the possibilities of natural reproduction of chum salmon	Measures to eliminate them
Lack of spawners entering spawning rivers	Restriction or cessation of catching salmon approaching spawning rivers. Reduction in the number of piscivorous mammals (according to legislation)
Obstacles to the spawning migration of spawners into the river	Elimination of rubble in the river bed. Construction of fish passages in areas inaccessible to salmon
Lack of spawning areas.	Reclamation of potentially suitable areas, construction of spawning or spawning-growing canals of the Canadian type. Factory reproduction.
Drying of eggs in spawning mounds	Raising the groundwater level with small retaining dams. Regulation of water supply from a specially built storage reservoir.
Death of eggs during floods	Water drainage through a special drainage channel.
Siltation of spawning grounds	Reclamation of spawning grounds before the spawning season, regulation of flow speed, forest planting in water protection zones.
Low survival rate of juveniles during the period from emergence from the ground to migration to the sea	Reducing the number of predators. Organization of artificial feeding.
Low survival rate in the early marine period	Catching predators. Release of juveniles at the most favorable time. Release of juveniles in small batches.

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 fishing 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 fishery products and the maximum permissible levels of antibiotic residues in the production of food products from aquaculture facilities are limited by the current regulations. Russian Federation“Unified sanitary-epidemiological and hygienic requirements for goods subject to sanitary-epidemiological supervision (control).” 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 carp).

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.

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

For reference:

Fish is a rich source of microelements (iodine, fluorine, copper, manganese), vitamins A, D, E and Omega-3 fats, which reduce the risk of heart and vascular diseases and cholesterol levels. It also contains protein with high biological value. It is recommended to include fish in the menu for both adults and children at least twice a week.

"How to choose fresh fish?" - this is the question buyers ask most often. First, let's figure out what they offer us in stores today? The fish that we see in aquariums in supermarkets, the chilled carcasses on display, are almost all grown under artificial conditions, on fish farms. Many experts claim that aquaculture provides approximately half of fish production. On the one hand, such a product is the future, on the other hand, there are a number of significant negative effects. “Artificial” fish often has an unpleasant muddy taste because it is bred in small ponds where rotting food residues and fish waste products are concentrated. When artificially growing fish, feed is used, to which fish growth accelerators, medications, including antibiotics, and dyes are often added. The great advantage of aquaculture is the ability to supply consumers with fish of consistent quality. all year round, regardless of the time of year.

Choose

For reference:

The richest in vitamins, minerals and omega-3 acids are sea fish: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, haddock, mackerel, pollock. 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.

By organizing fish breeding in a pond, pool or cage method, the owner can sell an environmentally friendly product to the market at a high cost, and the suitable climate of our country and the growing demand for carp and trout make this business profitable and very profitable in all regions.

The products of the world's oceans have been competing with livestock products for many millennia. Many treatises have been written about the benefits of these products. The World Health Organization recommends eating fish at least 2 times a day. The content of specific fatty acids (Omega-3) has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and heart. The presence of vitamin D is essential for correct height bones. The consumption of salmon, trout and mackerel is very important for the normal development of the fetus and is recommended for pregnant women and children. Fish farming in Russia is a fairly relevant business area and is constantly developing.

Methods of breeding fish in artificial conditions

Business should be fun. Fish farming is best associated with relaxation and can bring a lot of pleasant emotions. In addition, this is a fairly profitable and uncomplicated process. Setting up your own farm does not require large investments, and the economic effect is quite noticeable and with proper farming, you can receive regular profits and an environmentally friendly product for your table. The demand for typical river inhabitants, be it sturgeon or trout, is constantly growing in Russia. A huge number of ponds, lakes and reservoirs, as well as the climate in our country, make it possible to successfully engage in this type of activity in almost all regions. Artificial cultivation of fish was practiced in ancient times. Currently, this method has reached a high level of development and provides for implementation in the following conditions:

1. In a swimming pool.
2. In the pond.
3. Cage method.

A guarantee of success in this case will be the preparation of a detailed business plan, taking into account many risk factors.

Features of breeding in artificial pools

The advantageous quality of fish reproduction in artificial pools is that it can be located absolutely anywhere. This could be a garden or another part of a personal plot. Another positive point is the ability to choose the volume, material and shape of the tank. Such tanks are very durable, as they are made of fiberglass, metal or reinforced concrete construction. They require little maintenance and do not require very frequent cleaning. If desired, you can order pools of any shape, which will allow you to install it based on the availability of free space. As a rule, the walls of the tank, made of various types of plastic, have a smooth surface, which prevents significant contamination, reduces the cost of water treatment and the likelihood of a fish epidemic. The ability to artificially regulate temperature and hydrochemical conditions allows the use of reservoirs of this type all year round.

The installation of closed water exchange, as the most advanced method of cultivation in artificial conditions, allows for complete mechanization and automation of processes. To reproduce fry in this way, it is best to choose gourmet varieties (sturgeon or salmon), since installing expensive cleaning and water exchange equipment increases costs by approximately 1.5 times. The saturation of planting in such an environment is calculated based on the rate of water purification and its circulation. The fish productivity rate ranges from 20 to 100 kg per 1 m3. The method is simple, but there are typical mistakes when it starts.

Typical misconceptions of beginning fish farmers

Features of breeding in a pond

This option is the least risky and is suitable for beginners. A minimum financial threshold and the possibility of using natural reservoirs without additional expenses will allow you to obtain positive developments. In the territories of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, you can easily find a suitable pond or creek. There is an option to use your own artificial pond, which will force you to make additional investments in excavation work and has a certain risk associated with a lack of groundwater and critical shallowing of the pond. Also, to get good profitability, you need a pond with an area of ​​at least 1 hectare.

Cage method

Involves a combined approach to reproduction. It has both positive. So are negative qualities. Natural water areas with certain instrumental support are used. To implement the method, you need to purchase or build a floating cage yourself and stock it with fry. Cage lines are installed in lakes, river creeks or reservoirs. The latter method, provided there is a heated environment, allows for population growth all year round. The main advantages of cage farming:

1. Small area. Allows better protection of cages and simplifies fishing.
2. Possibility of sale all year round. Most companies have a seasonal sales vector. This advantage will increase profits.
3. You can use all types of reservoirs, even complex ones.

What variety should I grow?

Before starting the project, you should ask yourself what type of fish you are ready to put on store shelves. The main varieties for sale are: carp and trout. Methods of breeding, feeding and care are somewhat different. Carp is a very unpretentious variety that can be placed in many types of reservoirs and use less specialized food. There is a lot of information about the features of technology on the Internet and specialized manuals. Raising trout fry is a somewhat more labor-intensive process. You need to have basic experience in fish farming and special education. This variety is extremely demanding in terms of location and conditions.

Carp breeding technology

This representative of marine fauna occupies a leading position in this segment of the freshwater aquaculture market. For the growth of fry of this species, you can use artificial reservoirs, ponds and the cage method. The following breeds are grown:

1. Scaly.
2. Mirrored.
3. Linear.
4. Naked.
5. Ukrainian framed.

Carp can be cultivated in monoculture with various other species, including predatory species. There are three reproduction systems:

1. Extensive.
2. Semi-intensive.
3. Intense.

An extensive environment involves feeding carp with natural derivatives of bottom fauna and zooplankton. The method is characterized by a small increase per unit area (from 200 to 650 kg). The advantage is low feed costs and costs.

The semi-intensive method consists of formulating the diet in such a way that it contains more artificial feed, which is produced in significant quantities by the agro-industrial complex. The lack of caloric intake in the diet is leveled with the help of food additives carbohydrate type ( different kinds cereals). With the correct selection of diet, productivity reaches a level of 650 to 1400 kg per hectare. A clear advantage of this system is the ability to correct the lack of energy value of food with the help of supplements.

The intensive system involves transferring the entire generation to a complex feed that contains protein in high concentrations (up to 40%). High value nutrition leads to a large planting of the growth area, which requires additional aeration, if the norms are not followed, there is a risk of death of the offspring. The efficiency of this system makes it possible to obtain from 5 to 20 tons per hectare of water area. A positive feature is the maximum use of water areas. However, there is also a significant risk of infection and epidemics.

Trout breeding technology

There are more than a dozen species of trout in the world's oceans. Two main ones are most suitable for industrial reproduction:

1. Brook trout.
2. Rainbow trout.

The first species grows in the waters of the Azov, Black, White and Caspian seas. It has good taste and is one of the most valuable varieties of fish. It lives exclusively in cold conditions and requires fairly high aeration. The Rainbow Trout's native habitat is North America. It can live not only in cold streams, but also in warm rivers. Has excellent growth abilities.

The cage method and the method of growing in ponds are suitable for reproduction. However, trout do not reproduce in ponds and artificial insemination must be used. You should adhere to a temperature range from 4 to 18°C. It takes about 2 years to raise an adult fish ready for sale.

How much can you earn?

The expenditure and revenue portion of the project will vary depending on the scale of production. The cost of carp fry varies from 60 to 120 rubles per kilogram. The minimum price of feed for it is 7-8 rubles. An adult is sold for 100-130 rubles per 1 kg. For example, you can take the average values ​​of the main points when growing carp. With the most conservative calculations and minimal volumes of the final product, the cost part looks something like this:

1. Malek – 5200 rub.
2. Staff – 15,150 rub.
3. Feed – 3350 rub.
4. Other – 9350 rub.

The regressive part of accounting will be 30,050 rubles.

With a total income of 50,000 rubles, net profit will be equal to 19,950 rubles. A multiple increase in parameters will lead to lower costs and increased profits. Profitability with proper organization of the process can reach 40%.

Examples of successful "fish" business

Successful cultivation of fish on an industrial scale in Russia is carried out by large holdings with a wide network of export connections. However, medium and small fish farms that are successfully increasing production in Russia (Arsky Fish Farm LLC, Vyvenskoye LLC, Nazarovskoe Fish Farm LLC) deserve a lot of attention. Such companies are an excellent example of a proven technological and financial basis for growing fish.