| Farmed salmon has been under the spotlight for | | | | many wild populations of salmon are endangered. |
| reasons of human health and the environment. | | | | In many parts of the world, wild salmon face |
| Disease, destruction of wild salmon stocks and | | | | many obstacles in their life cycle - such as the |
| degradation of the marine environment are some | | | | disappearance of their habitat, logging operations, |
| of the reasons we should avoid purchasing and | | | | water diversion and water pollution. Add to this an |
| consuming farmed salmon. | | | | introduction of non-native species and the wild |
| Pollution, contamination and disease | | | | salmon is in trouble. |
| Farm-raised salmon can be contaminated with | | | | We don't want farmed salmon |
| dangerously high levels of PCBs. This is because: | | | | In Canada, the majority of salmon farms are |
| a) the fish feed fish can be contaminated; and b) | | | | found in British Columbia. At present, there is a |
| farmed salmon tend to be higher in fat than wild | | | | class action lawsuit in the courts of BC by First |
| salmon and PCBs accumulate in fat tissue. A | | | | Nations (Native Canadians) against the BC |
| report in 2004 by the the journal Science warned | | | | government for failing to protect wild salmon by |
| that farm raised salmon contained 10 times more | | | | allowing 29 fish farms to operate in the area. |
| toxins (PCBs, dioxin, etc.) than the wild variety | | | | A 2008 research using official government data |
| and recommended that it should be eaten no | | | | from Canada, Scotland, and Ireland found serious |
| more than once per month as they posed cancer | | | | decline in the species during the 1980s in areas of |
| risks. | | | | the North Atlantic and northeast Pacific where |
| Salmon farms are hazardous as they can release | | | | salmon farms have increased over the same |
| fish excrement and chemicals into the surrounding | | | | period. |
| waters. This can create problems for many fish | | | | Good salmon |
| species and marine life in the areas concerned. | | | | The Alaskan salmon fishery - where there are no |
| Sea lice are small marine parasites commonly | | | | salmon farms - is rated as a "sustainable". Most |
| associated with salmon. Open net farms facilitate | | | | sustainable seafood guides rate salmon from |
| the spread of lice into the wild salmon populations. | | | | Alaska in the green or good to eat category. |
| Crowded farm conditions give rise to lethal | | | | Sustainability guides also give other options. The |
| diseases such as furunculosis and infectious | | | | MSC guide for the UK advises against all Atlantic |
| salmon anaemia. In Chile, the salmon farming | | | | salmon and the Canadian SeaChoice guide |
| industry has been in a crisis since 2007 as a result | | | | recommends checking seasonal availability for wild |
| of outbreaks of the infectious salmon anaemia | | | | BC salmon. |
| (ISA) virus. | | | | There is also the problem with farmed salmon |
| Invasive species | | | | being passed on as wild. Food labelling laws vary |
| Farmed salmon can also escape to compete with | | | | depending on where you purchase the fish. To |
| wild salmon, thereby weakening the native gene | | | | decrease the likelihood of being defrauded, |
| pool. Interbreeding between the wild and farmed | | | | purchase your seafood from reputable sources |
| fish may weaken native salmon and reduce their | | | | (who will suffer the consequences of dishonest |
| long-term ability to survive. | | | | dealing) and ask the important questions. We don't |
| While it is generally a healthy and sturdy fish, | | | | want our love of salmon to fuel their decline. |