I recently read an article in Sit News, our local on-line newspaper, that read, “Wild Caught Fish Are Not Likely to Get the Organic Nod.” Upon reading more and doing a little research, I found that this is not a new issue and that a formal ruling has not been made at this time.
The National Organic Standards Board said last year that, “Because the food sources and environment of wild fish are completely uncontrolled, they should not be considered organic. Only inland, closed systems, which do not allow untreated effluents to pollute the surrounding environment, may be eligible for organic certification.”
Ray Riutta, the director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, says, “More consumers recognize that ‘wild’ is something that ‘organic’ aspires to be, but never can be because of the way it is handled.”
The wild seafood that I catch has a noticeably better taste than the farmed fish that I have purchased from the store. I also find the taste of organic produce to be of a superior quality, to the produce found in the grocery stores of Alaska, and I now associate the word ‘organic’ with higher quality. I also would have assumed that given the vast difference in quality and taste between farmed and wild fish that the National Organic Standards Board would have wanted the opportunity to put their label on wild-caught Alaskan seafood with or without the ability to control the environment they come from. To me, seafood doesn’t get any more fresh and un-altered. But what do I know?
Mishel Stovall
