Unsustainable salmon farming: A discussion of its background and the potential and need for improvement

Abstract

Salmon farming is an incredibly fast-growing industry with a lot of problematic impacts on the planet. From the beginning, this industry has had visible effects on wildlife populations, especially wild salmon, where we have seen a continuous decline in population numbers, related to the growth of the industry. Sea trout and dozens of other animal species have also been affected, where plant life is also suffering. The pollution of salmon farming and its related industries like feed production is causing both local and global impacts, where local ecosystems are altered, and major greenhouse gas pollution is contributing to climate change. Governments have historically not been able to create a proper regulatory framework to control these challenges, where continued focus on production rather than sustainability is central in the background. Many new ideas and technologies have been put forward and tested to find solutions to these issues, but climate change and self-inflicted problems like disease and mass mortality due to external factors continue to hinder the development of the industry.