There is now very little doubt about the numerous health benefits of the Omega 3 fatty acids. But where do we get the Omega 3 fatty acids that go into our fish oil capsules, and is our quest for Omega 3 fats at the expense of various species of fish?
Fish rich in Omega 3 fatty acids are the fish which are harvested to provide the Omega 3 fats for our fish oil supplements. That makes plain sense, because the obvious place to get our Omega 3 fatty acids for the purposes of manufacturing fish oil supplements is fish which are high in Omega 3 fats.
However modern fishing methods are extremely effective, and in our quest for these all-important and healthy fats we may well be doing our environment a grave disservice.
One of the fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids are called menhaden. Menhaden are a species of fish commonly found, or at least which were commonly found, off our east coast in the Atlantic.
A century or more ago menhaden were extremely prolific, with shoals reaching up and down the east coast numbering many millions of fish. And over the last 150 years these fish have been caught for a range of purposes, both to provide food as well as fertilisers and oil.
In fact more menhaden have been caught in the US than any other species of fish. But no longer.
One company that manufactures fish oil supplements currently has 61 ships and 32 spotter aircraft catching menhaden as fast as they can. These fish are used for extraction of their oil so that Omega 3 rich livestock feeds as well as Omega 3 supplements can be manufactured. There's plenty of money in this.
However as a result of overfishing in the past, and current overfishing, stocks of menhaden have plummeted, and the great shoals that were found in the past are now no longer. This is an environmental tragedy as menhaden provided food not only for people but for a wide range of other fish species as well as various birds and mammals. Not only that but their feeding habits helped keep the ocean clean.
We should be protecting our fish, and in some cases we are, but not enough to prevent their slaughter and potential extinction.
Every US state except Virginia has now banned the fishing of menhaden in their waters. Therefore this company, called Omega Protein, takes all its fish from the waters of Chesapeake Bay, and takes all they can get. Now that spotter aircraft are being used there are very few places left for the menhaden to hide.
Chesapeake Bay is now turning into an environmental disaster, and algal blooms, which the menhaden help to clean up, are now increasing. Many experts link these facts to the dramatic decline in the numbers of menhaden.
I write about the health benefits of the Omega 3 fatty acids, which are now well established. However I do not see any advantage either to us or to any other species on the planet if we decimate fish stocks in our pursuit of Omega 3 fatty acids.
Not all Omega 3 capsules are manufactured from oil which is sourced from threatened fish species. So if you care about our oceans and about our environment it would pay you to make some serious enquiry about the source of the oil found in your Omega 3 capsules before your next purchase.
To find out more about Omega 3 capsules sourced from a sustainable fishery visit my website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6431138
About the Author:
Want to find Omega 3 capsules that don't come from threatened fish species? Or do you want to learn more about sourcing Omega 3 from fish rich in Omega 3 fatty acids? Visit Peter's Website Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oil.
