Formalin-tainted Squid

Prakiat Khuntol, Collective Coordinator of Suan Spirit Organization

Prakiat worked in artisan fishing for more than 20 years, helping local people on the Andaman coast set up more sustainable practices—using the right fishing equipment and taking care of the coast. Now he does direct trade with the fishermen and builds awareness of ecological issues through the Thai Green Market (www.thaigreenmarket.com) collective.

“It’s very difficult to know which vendors at the market use formalin to preserve their squid. It makes the squid stiff and white, but it’s still not easy to be sure. If you try asking the vendors where they get their squid from and how, most couldn’t care less.”

What can you do?

If you’re shopping at an organic store, don’t just believe the signage “plod saan (chemical-free)”—the shop owners need to know where the produce comes from and what equipment was used. A lot of squid is illegally caught using trawl nets which have a negative impact on sea life.

Farmed Shrimp

Kritsada Hongrath, co-owner of Sureerath Farm

Running probably the only prawn farm (www.sureerathprawns.com) in Thailand that is certified by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Krissada is helping his father to continue their organic farming philosophy in Chantaburi.

“Most shrimps come from industrial farms where many shrimps are packed into one small pond. As overcrowding leads to poor water quality, due to decreased oxygen level, it’s common for aquafarmers to pump in oxygen and to treat the pool with chemicals. Most chemicals don’t harm humans, unless there are certain drugs involved, which could cause cancer in the long-run. And some farms are also harmful to the environment. Even though it’s illegal, in reality, the waste, which is full of chemicals, is still being dumped into nearby natural waterways where it will inevitably affect mangrove forests and sea life.”

What can you do?

The law doesn’t really help with this matter and there’s little demand from consumers. If the law doesn’t change, it will be hard to encourage farmers to uses organic practices. It costs a lot so there needs to be pressure placed on the government or supermarkets by consumers. Organic seafood has a long way to go before it reaches the sort of groundswell of support that organic vegetables garner.

Farmed Fish

Bill Marinelli, chef/owner at The Oyster Bar

Bill Marinelli doesn’t serve farmed seafood in his restaurant The Oyster Bar (395 Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Soi 24, 02-212-4809. Open Tue-Sun 6-11pm; Sun noon-3pm) nor did he at his recently closed The Seafood Bar, proving that where there’s a will, there’s a way for sustainable seafood to gain a foothold.

“Most farmed fish is unsustainably grown. For example, it takes three kilos of fish to grow one kilo of farmed salmon. And it’s extremely unhealthy to eat as it’s high in polychlorinated biphenyls, much higher than the US Food and Drug Administration recommends. Farmed salmon also contains antibiotics to keep them healthy and growth hormones to make them grow quickly—we’re not sure how dangerous these are yet as data is still being collected. Due to their diet, the farmed varieties don’t contain the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that wild salmon do, either.”

What can you do?

Stop eating farmed salmon.
The salmon you see on menus everywhere, including buffets, is farmed. No one’s serving wild salmon in Bangkok due to the high prices. If consumers stop ordering salmon, hotels and restaurants will stop buying it and serve fish that is more sustainable and economical.
Ask how the fish was caught.
If the chef or waiter can’t tell you how the fish was caught—order something else.
Stop eating “snowfish.”
“Snowfish” is actually an endangered species also known as Chilean seabass or Patagonian toothfish. The snowfish served here in Thailand is caught illegally, and not regulated by the Thai FDA or the customs department.