FAQs

Sea cages used by salmon farms degrade marine and freshwater ecosystems in multiple ways. The sea lice that infest the cages feed off of, and sometimes kill, nearby wild salmon, sea trout and other fish.¹ The antibiotics and pesticides used in sea cages also are lethal to other forms of sea life.² And untreated waste from the salmon farms pollutes surrounding waters.³

In addition to polluting the environment,³ salmon farming is inherently unsustainable because the large amount of wild fish it takes to feed the salmon in the farms results in a net loss of protein from the ocean.⁴ To feed farmed salmon, giant trawlers off the coast of West Africa haul in tons of small fish that are ground into feed. Ninety percent of these wild fish could help feed Africans. In this way, sourcing food for ocean-farmed Atlantic salmon not only contributes to the industry’s large carbon footprint but also takes protein off the plates of people who need it.

The conditions in sea cages are inhumane by any measure. The cages are overcrowded with up to 200,000 fish, which leads to many health concerns, including decal-infested waters. Each year, millions of salmon die prematurely from viruses and parasitic infections. The crowded conditions in the pens also create an optimal environment for sea lice to multiply. These sea lice eat the salmon alive, resulting in open wounds and sometimes premature death. This in turn often drives fish farming companies to use antibiotics and pesticides in an attempt to control the lice.⁵

They are among only one percent of species that live in both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, and they link environments up and down their annual migratory paths. They are a keystone species, relied on by 137 different species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and other animals. And as an indicator species, wild Atlantic salmon reflect the planet’s overall health.

99% of Atlantic salmon consumed globally is farmed in sea cages in the ocean.⁶ Conversely, wild Atlantic salmon are not commercially fished,⁷ and so will not be found in a store or on a restaurant menu. Ocean-farmed salmon are intensively and selectively bred to grow fatter and mature as fast as possible. Wild Atlantic salmon, and in fact all wild salmon, are leaner and more athletic by comparison, developing strong musculature needed for long migratory journeys. When ocean-farmed salmon escape from sea cages and interbreed with wild Atlantic salmon, it alters the gene pool and results in offspring unfit for survival in the wild. This in turn leads to population decline and collapse.⁸

In the wild:
‍As their name implies, Atlantic salmon are native to the North Atlantic Ocean and its adjoining rivers. Pacific salmon, which include 6 species (chum, chinook, coho, masu, pink, and sockeye), are found in the Pacific Ocean and its river systems.

Both Atlantic and Pacific salmon begin life in freshwater streams and rivers, hatching from eggs laid in gravel nests. As juveniles, they migrate to the ocean, where they mature before returning to their natal rivers to spawn. But a key difference is what happens after spawning. Atlantic salmon can survive spawning and return to the ocean to repeat the cycle, contributing vital nutrient flow to their ecosystems multiple times. Pacific salmon die shortly after spawning, which is a critical ecological process wherein their bodies release essential nutrients into freshwater ecosystems, nourishing plants, animals, and aquatic life. This nutrient transfer supports entire food webs, from tiny invertebrates to large predators like bears and eagles.

As keystone species, all salmon play a critical role in balancing ecosystems around the world.

‍As a food source:
‍Generally speaking, Pacific salmon are leaner and have a deeper, more red color. Atlantic salmon is higher in fat, milder in flavor, and more orange in color. While it is possible to find responsibly wild-caught Pacific salmon, this is not the case with Atlantic salmon. 99% of all Atlantic salmon consumed globally is farmed in sea cages.