The Reality Gap: Contrasting an Industry’s Claims with its Practices

Around the world, the salmon farming industry presents a squeaky clean picture of responsible, sustainable protein. But data and evidence tell a different story.

A November 2025 report from WildFish Conservation provides a salient, in-depth example. Citing 56 sources, the highly detailed report¹ leverages publicly available data and company information from seven of the largest industry operators in Scotland, contrasting the findings with the companies’ marketing claims and certification activities. 

It demonstrates that while Scotland’s seven salmon farming companies market their products as healthy, sustainable and eco-friendly, in fact their farms continue to rely on toxic chemicals, are unable to contain outbreaks of diseases and parasites, and were responsible for more than 17 million farmed salmon deaths in 2023,² according to the U.K. Fish Health Inspectorate. Pointing out that these issues are not limited to Scotland but persist everywhere salmon are farmed in open net-pens (also known as sea cages), the report calls for a realistic acknowledgment of this industry’s far-reaching impacts.¹