Letter from Arthur Reynolds, world traveller. Where has he been now? Well, to Malaysia and then to Australia, of which he says that if he had seen this country when he was 20, he might have stayed. But the main purpose of his letter was to bring with it a thick tabloid-sized newspaper, fish farm- ing international (yes, no capitals). His letter begins "I know you don't like salmon farms (even though we farm pigs)" and he draws attention to page 2, which carries an advertisement for a firm called Nutresco headed: "Farmers demanded healthier fish", and a sub-head, "We developed Response Proactive". The text goes on to say: "The life of a fish can be stressful. Fluctuating water temperatures, poor water quality, vaccinations, disease and transfers can all take their toll on fish health." (This, of course refers to farmed fish.) "Response Proactive is a `functional food'; strengthening immune defences so that fish are better equipped to handle stressful situations. Less stress means greater productivity and profits, making Response Proactive a sound insurance policy." A footnote tells us that this product has a global market share of 40 per cent for fish feed.
Let's clear this up. Fish farms give employment in areas of some deprivation. Farmed salmon enables many who regarded the fish as a luxury item beyond their means to enjoy the fish today. You don't have to buy salmon if you feel uneasy about some aspects of the feeding, dosing and crowding of which we hear so much and to which the above advertisement mentions. But some people would like all salmon to be clearly marked on the fishmonger's slab as wild or farmed. Is it possible to tell the difference if salmon is served up to you in a friend's house or in a restaurant? Especially if it is well sauced, for example? Probably not. But just as some people are uneasy about vegetables and, say, apples being dosed and drenched with chemicals and insist on organic vegetables only (where possible), so some people may choose to eat salmon only when caught by themselves or friends. The salmon that, unerringly, after perhaps thousands of miles in the Atlantic, returns to its natal stream, maybe to the same spawning bed. Same applies to smoked salmon. Some people will take only butter and refuse margarine.
Fish-farming could be used to save fish species dying out through over-fishing. The same paper had an article about a turbot farm with a 500-tonnes-a-year capacity production plant destined for Spain and designed in Norway. What next? We will read on, in this hefty newspaper/trade magazine.