You can help protect fish species that are vital to the marine ecosystem

You can help protect fish species that are vital to the marine ecosystem

Omega Protein Corp and Omega Protein, Inc. may not be household names, but many of their products are. These two companies are collectively referred to as “Omega” and are one of the largest reduction fishing organizations in North America. They catch and process fish called herring, and then resell “reduced fish” for pet food, agricultural and aquaculture feed, and human fish oil supplements. By fishing for herring on a large scale, Omega puts the marine ecosystems of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico at risk, while also violating the Clean Water Act and other federal laws.

Herring (commonly known as sandpit fish or pogy) is considered one of the most important fish in the ocean. They are a forage fish or filter-feeding fish that can reduce harmful algae reproduction. They are also an important food source for whales, striped bass, red fish, eagles, ospreys and many other animals.

according to Chesapeake Bay FoundationIn 2005, the number of this important species reached the lowest level in history since the 1940s, and has remained at a low level for the past 20 years. However, companies like Omega catch and process approximately 6 billion herrings each year. If not changed immediately, Omega’s actions could disrupt the food web and continue to reduce the number of striped bass and other predator species that rely on herring for food. A 2017 study It was found that reduced fishing resulted in a nearly 30% reduction in the number of Atlantic striped bass, which is the most popular marine game fish species in the country.

Stricter fishing regulations and monitoring are critical, especially in the Chesapeake Bay. At the same time, consumers can help save herring by avoiding Omega products and switching to herring substitutes, thereby reducing market demand.

Herring populations in the Chesapeake Bay. source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Omega’s environmental violation

Throughout Omega’s corporate history, there have been many claims of violations of regulations, from exceeding fishing limits and violating clean water laws to falsifying information to qualify for federal loans.

Omega received government funding in compliance with federal environmental regulations. However, in 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sued Omega for two wastewater violations in Virginia. The first violation occurred between May 2008 and September 2010, when the company illegally dumped fish waste or bail water from its processing facilities into the coastal waters of Virginia. To make matters worse, the bail water contains additional pollutants and chemicals. From April 2009 to September 2010, Omega once again violated the Clean Water Act; its fishing fleet was found to discharge wastewater directly into the sea. The waste water contains oil and is contaminated by waste from the ship. Omega pleaded guilty to these violations, resulting in a three-year probation, a $5.5 million fine, and a payment of $2 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Fund, which is dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay restoration project.

Despite the opportunity to implement ethical and responsible sourcing practices, Omega did the opposite. In 2017, it became clear that Omega not only violated the terms of the previous plea agreement, but also discharged pollutants in its Louisiana bay. Omega once again admitted to dumping waste water in 2014 and 2016. The resulting guilty plea agreement includes an additional three years of probation, a $1 million fine and a $200,000 corporate community service. It is frustrating that the second time the penalty was not so severe, the fine was reduced from 5.5 million U.S. dollars to 1 million U.S. dollars.

In addition to various violations of the Clean Water Act, Omega also falsified information in its annual and quarterly reports, violating the anti-fraud provisions of the U.S. Securities Act and the reporting provisions of the trading laws and rules.

In order to apply for a federal loan and obtain approval, Omega signed a contract stating that the company complies with federal environmental regulations. They have not received any notice of previous violations, no pending investigations or lawsuits against them, and they will notify National Oceanic Any event of the Fisheries Bureau that may affect the terms of the agreement. As of December 2014, Omega was eligible to receive US$21.1 million in government loans from five different loans. Some of the reports they submitted to obtain these loans were forged. They were also required to develop and maintain environmental checklists, but they did not implement them either.

In addition to these violations of the law, Omega has recently been charged under the Endangered Species Act when its ship was caught speeding in the mid-Atlantic right whale seasonal management zone.When whales travel in these areas Migrate and use them as calving farmsThe population of right whales is rapidly declining; with only 100 females left, Omega Protein further endangers the species by recklessly crossing protected habitats.

In addition to all Omega’s harmful actions to the environment, there are also a small number of employee health and safety violations. Sadly, many of these violations have resulted in the death of employees, from a worker being caught in a “rotating screw conveyor” to the explosion of a storage tank containing methane and hydrogen sulfide. Omega Protein is also responsible for multiple injuries caused by operational accidents on its ship. These incidents included collisions with ships and the “sucking” of industrial vacuums by the dock supervisors, which were used to remove fish from the ships.In addition to these tragic events, in 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor also cited 25 health and safety violationsOmega settled most of these incidents out of court, but in 2014, one case did go to court; the judge ruled in favor of Omega on the death of a 24-year-old man involved in a carousel.

In the end, the above facts speak for themselves. Omega’s corruption and disregard for the environment and employees are shocking. It is essential to resist any product that can be traced to Omega protein through the value chain. I hope you can join the fight to save the herring and protect the Atlantic and Gulf by consuming alternative products that are responsibly sourced.

Herring substitute

In order to protect and restore herring populations, many organizations are advocating for ecosystem-based management and improving fishing regulations, but these may take a long time to be approved and implemented. Although supporting stricter regulations and improving management is essential, we can all make immediate changes by reading labels and turning to sustainable alternatives.

Unfortunately, the increasing demand for farmed fish has led to an increase in the harvest and processing of herring to make fish balls (or feed for these farmed fish). Salmon and shrimp farmers rely heavily on herring pellets. Consumers who wish to protect herring, marine ecosystems and marine food webs should resist farmed salmon and shrimp and choose more sustainable alternatives to wild fishing.

When shopping in a grocery store, consumers can also look for grass-fed meat and poultry to ensure that these animals are not fed pellets from herring.

When discussing human supplements, it’s important to note Scientific evidence It is stated that if you have a balanced and healthy diet, there is no need to take fish oil supplements. In any case, some people like to take the benefits of fish oil in order to get omega-3, DHA and EPA in their diet. Fortunately, herring can get the same nutrients from algae supplements. Microalgae is a vegetarian, sustainable alternative and is becoming more and more popular.

Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of affordable fish-free pet food, but there are some viable options on the market that contain the same nutrients but come from soybeans and peas. It is appropriate to ask Purina and other staple pet food companies to be more responsible and ethical in sourcing products. If we, as consumers, do not hold these large companies accountable, they will continue to consume our natural resources for profit.

As the climate crisis continues to worsen, the ocean will continue to be under unprecedented pressure, so more than ever, we need to reduce our negative impact on these fragile and diverse ecosystems.

Celeste Vandeventer is a student in the Master of Sustainable Development Management program at Columbia University. As part of her internship at Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Cooperation, she recently focused on herring conservation. During the internship, she worked directly with various herring activist groups and is still actively working to save this important fish. She extended her research to the global struggle to protect forage fish and the livelihoods of many marginalized communities directly affected.