Salmon aquaculture involves farming salmon in controlled environments, often using sea cages, and feeding them fish food. Concerns exist about negative effects on wild fish populations and the environment. Some groups focus on hatching and releasing fish to restore wild populations.
Salmon aquaculture is the cultivation of salmon in human-controlled environments, which can be contrasted with fishing practices that harvest salmon from the wild. Practices used in salmon aquaculture can vary, but the most common methods involve hatching the salmon and keeping them in marine cages that prevent the fish from swimming. Less commonly, fish may be bred and released into the wild with the intention of increasing the total number of fish available. There are many concerns about the negative effects of salmon aquaculture on wild fish populations as well as the marine environments in which farming takes place.
The methods used to farm salmon usually involve rearing a select stock of fish. Eggs and sperm are harvested from good stock salmon and fertilized in controlled environments. The hatchlings resulting from this breeding program are usually raised in freshwater tanks for several months until they are mature enough for sea cages. Juvenile salmon typically live in these freshwater ponds for a year or more before being transferred to saltwater.
One of the most important innovations in salmon aquaculture was the invention of the floating sea cage. These cages prevent fish from escaping, but they must be placed in gentle bays that are protected from storms to function properly. This makes countries like Norway and Chile particularly popular for salmon aquaculture, as suitable marine areas are common in these countries.
During their life in sea cages, salmon must be fed fish food made from other fish, because salmon are carnivores. The salmon are kept in the sea cages for a year or two and then harvested with nets. Fish are typically killed where they are raised, contrary to the practices of many other livestock operations. There are no salmon slaughterhouses, which means that companies involved in salmon aquaculture must also be able to harvest the fish safely and effectively for human consumption. Fish are usually killed quickly and humanely, both for the benefit of the fish and because they release hormones when stressed that lower the quality of their meat.
Some groups, however, are only involved in the hatching part of salmon aquaculture. These groups believe that by hatching and releasing the fish into rivers, the natural wild salmon population can be at least partially restored. This is generally not a very good business plan for companies as anyone can catch the salmon, reducing the chances of profit. For groups concerned not only with profit but also with environmental health, this method of salmon farming provides the positive impact of a healthy salmon population, without many of the negative environmental effects of salmon farming.
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