The Cost of Aquaculture - More Oversight Needed

A recent article in The Guardian describes how a report shows that "salmon farming is wreaking ruin" on marine ecosystems. This has serious financial costs as well as environmental costs.

The article goes on to explain how salmon farms in Scotland have seen a 4x increase in fish mortality, with sea lice to blame for at least one-fifth of the deaths, and probably more. While producers bear the costs of things like fish mortality and treatments for sea lice, the report also shows that there is a wider impact on the world, particularly environmentally.

Beyond Scotland, the report looked at the costs of fish farming in other countries that play a major role in the global fish farming market: Canada, Norway, and Chile. It also delved into the matter of how the need for wild fish to feed farmed fish is harming fishing communities in developing areas.

For these reasons, the Changing Markets Foundation is calling for improved regulations on fish farming and better labelling so consumers know what they are purchasing when they buy farmed fish.

To read more in-depth on these issues, you can read the article in The Guardian here. (Please note that it may be behind a paywall.)

In Maine, State Representative Lynne Williams of Bar Harbor has taken a strong stand to speak up about the need for more regulation and more study of the impact of aquaculture. You can read her letter to Governor Mills that calls for better oversight here.