Farm Raised Oyster and Clams

Delicious and Better than Wild

The controversy of farm raised seafood versus wild caught continues with both sides of the argument having valid points. Between the productivity of farms and increasing the world’s food supply, farms and aquaculture as a whole seems like an excellent option. However, until international regulations catch up with how seafood farms operate, the fish will still be living in polluted waters and laden with antibiotics.

While all these concerns are true for fish, it is quite the opposite for oysters and clams. They don’t need food and they don’t excrete anything. This means these tasty bivalves aren’t putting any stress on other species for survival and not only do they not pollute the water, they clean it. Oysters and clams filter minerals from the water and remove nitrogen from the water thereby purifying it. Oysters and clams improve the water quality of their environment.

All great news right?

The crux of the two types of farms (fish versus bivalves) is that fish farms tend to be unhealthier than their wild caught counterparts (though MUCH healthier than eating fast food as part of a regular diet). With oysters and clams, it is better to have the farm raised as opposed to the wild caught. Often they are dredged from their habitat, disturbing or in some cases destroying the sea beds and causing environmental upheaval.

No matter what type of seafood you choose – fish with gills, crustaceans, or bivalves – it is always healthier to have a balanced diet that includes the fruit of the sea. Any concerns you may have with regards to the health of the fish, known that it wouldn’t be in the market if it wasn’t meeting specific health and safety standards. The key is to eat a variety of protein, grains, fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy diet, this includes fish.

So when it comes time decide which to have, farm raised or wild caught oysters and clams, you can confidently choose the farm raised knowing you are eating healthy and making a choice that helps protect our ocean habitats.

LA DiNardi