People have been farming Atlantic and Pacific salmon for decades, but the industry has been changing rapidly in recent years. Although salmon need some very specific environmental conditions to flourish, modern farmers have become adept at providing everything they require.
As a result, farmed salmon has become an increasingly important source of protein for people all over the world. A quick look at four particularly interesting facts about this valuable form of aquaculture could be enlightening.
- Some forms of animal husbandry have come under fire in recent years because they feature especially large environmental footprints. Farming salmon, by contrast, is an environmentally responsible option, as resources available at globalsalmoninitiative.org/en will make clear.
This was not always as much the case, as early salmon farms were known for fouling surrounding waters and imposing other environmental burdens. As the science of aquaculture has advanced, though, salmon farmers have become ever more adept at leaving few traces of their activities. Today’s salmon farms produce protein farm more efficiently than those of the past, as by wasting much less food on fattening up fish.
- There are even good reasons to hope that the situation will be improved even more. A number of projects now underway propose to raise salmon to market-ready maturity in special facilities constructed onshore. This will boost efficiency levels even higher and allow virtually all of the environmentally relevant effects of farming to be controlled.
Wild salmon live famously strenuous lives, with the Pacific species swimming miles against stiff river currents late in life just to spawn and die. While Atlantic salmon do not expire after breeding, they repeat the cycle several times and need to remain in shape to do so.
- Salmon farmed in enclosures at sea turn out to be every bit as vigorous as their wild relatives. Because farm locations are selected carefully, farmed salmon get all the exercise they need to develop strong muscles as they grow to their mature size.
When the first salmon farms went into business so many years ago, they were regarded as mere curiosities. Over time, however, salmon farming has to come to satisfy an ever-increasing share of global demand for this popular type of fish.
- One reason for this is that modern farms are so efficient compared to their predecessors. Another is simply that wild salmon populations have been shrinking, not just thanks to overfishing but also because of environmental and climate-related factors. As a result, experts expect salmon farming to account for an even larger portion of global production in the future.
Some people suppose that salmon produced via aquaculture must be less enticing and tasty than the natural, wild variety. In fact, farmed salmon can be every bit as delicious as that harvested at great expense from the open ocean. The same richness and depth of flavor that makes wild salmon so popular are present in salmon raised by farmers.
As might be clear, salmon farming has become a staple of the global economy and is only getting better. That is great news for everyone who enjoys dining on this special, healthful type of protein. In addition to generating a product that many millions appreciate, salmon farmers are always looking for and finding ways to raise the bar even higher.