By Mitchell Clute, Natural Foods Merchandiser, April 3.
Late last month, the National Organic Standards Board Livestock Committee met in Washington, D.C., to discuss the establishment of organic standards for aquatic species. The committee recommended that organic certification be offered to noncarnivorous fish in closed systems, such as tilapia and catfish. However, the Livestock Committee did not recommend certification for carnivorous species raised in open-water net pens. Instead, they suggested excluding such species for six months to gather more input from industry and consumers.
Amongst carnivorous fish, salmon is the primary species in question. Though consumers can sometimes find products labeled "organic salmon" in grocery stores, these products are certified by non-U.S. certifiers; there is currently no definition of "organic" for seafood under U.S. organic regulations.
