Chicken Faeces Fed To Farmed Fish

by Nitin Mehta

 The Independent reports that there could be a possible link between the bird flu and farmed fish fed with manure of Chickens, Pigs and Ducks. The United Nations Food and Agriculture organisation backs this system of feeding fish with waste animal matter --it is called, 'Integrated Livestock Fish Farming'. According to F.A.O. which is not immune to pressure from powerful vested interests this system will help in providing protein rich food to the developing world and their growing population.

In spite of the BSE crisis which happened when cattle were fed sheep meat no one seems to be worried about the feeding of faeces to fish which will be consumed by Humans. With all its progress this is what Humans have got to--eating the faeces of animals! Because the Oceans of the world have been decimated by over fishing Farmed fish is what people will be eating more and more. The faeces of the fish itself is polluting the sea bed and mangrove forests are dying as are coral reefs. In a Tsunami like situation they act as buffers.

The amount of grains fed to animals raised for meat every year could feed 4 billion people. By switching to a vegetarian diet we could feed the hungry, stop the spread of deserts, save our Oceans, stop the irreversible damage being done to the planet and be healthy. A Human being will eat 30 tonnes of food in a life time if each one of us altered our food habits we could leave the planet in which future generations would be able to live happily.