Ocean-based fish farming, predominantly salmon, is extensively operated around the world. There issues within this type of operation, some critical and often making major headlines on the news. Here are some of the issues that are often reported:
Misreporting chemical use
Ocean-based fish farming operators misreport chemical use causing growing concern over large amounts of pesticides, faeces, food waste coming from salmon farms. These chemicals or medications are used by the operators to avoid diseases and control infestation such as sea lice.Mass salmon escape
SeafoodSource revealed that 690,000 Atlantic salmon escaped in July 2018 from several salmon farming sites during adverse weather condition in Los Lagos, Chile. Chile’s Superintendency of the Environment, SMA, has levied a CLP 5.3 billion (USD 6.7 million, EUR 5.7 million) fine against one of the largest producer in the world for the escape of Atlantic salmons.
Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA)
In 2021, Fish Farmer Magazine reported that Norwegian Food Safety Authority had ordered the company to close its site in Dyrøy municipality in Norway due to discovery of Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) in 2020. The company was deemed to be insufficiently careful when emptying a site and they have been fined for NOK 800,000 (£67,000) for violating Food Act and Aquaculture Act.
Mass salmon death
Atlantic Salmon Federation informed that the company had a 450,000 fish mortality event at one of its Canadian salmon farming sites in Newfoundland and Labrador in September 2021. Prior to the report, the company disclosed that it had experienced 92,700 Atlantic Salmon deaths which are now nearly five times the number reported earlier. The company also reported that the mass death was due to drop in dissolved oxygen. There has been numerous fish mortality events with some exceeding millions of dead fish in just a single site!
