What’s this, an Atlantic version of crop circles or Olympic rings, placed to put us in a 2012 frame of mind? Neither as it happens. These are fish farms, clustered all around the coast of Tenerife. The ones pictured here are just off Montaña Guaza, as you head out to Palm Mar from Los Cristianos.
Cage Rage
These metal intruders first appeared about 10 years ago and caused an outbreak of cage rage, accused of destroying the environment and wrecking the livelihood of long established fishermen. The fish farm industry hit back saying they would provide new jobs, and cheaper fish.
Hold your nose, let’s move in closer and see what the fuss is all about. The mesh-covered metal cages are in clusters of six or eight, fixed to the sea bed by concrete anchors and usually 25 metres in diameter. They have a capacity of 2,500 cubic metres and can hold up to a staggering 90,000 fish each.
Why The Big Stink?
Okay, they might not look pretty but where’s the harm? Well, even though they can be very tiny fish, they all have to answer the call of nature. And 90,000 toilet visits in each of the six to eight cages creates a bit of a mess over a long period of time. The cramped conditions encourages diseases such as sea lice, and feeding time is very hit and miss as fish meal is scattered on the water, some sticking to the cages, some coating the sea bed, and rotting.
Studies have shown that the mix of food and fish waste can produce chemicals like methane, nitrogen and phosphorous, which can create toxins to poison the water. The loose fish meal can also attract scavengers and dolphins looking for easy pickings, affecting the eco system. If you travel up to Santa Cruz, you may be alarmed at the closeness of the farms to the petrol refinery, and the stream of murky waste water that streams out.
Whether you agree or disagree with our offshore fish farms, it looks like they’re here to stay – for now. Don’t forget there’s also a wealth of traditionally caught fish around Tenerife and a lot of the farmed fish is earmarked for export. Next time you’re tucking into a nice bit of Tenerife tuna with a plate full of Canarian potatoes it’s more likely that it’s been caught the old-fashioned way.
