Aquatic Animals

Salmon Aquaculture and Feed Sustainability

Salmon farming requires large quantities of wild fish in feed, creating ethical and sustainability questions about the welfare cost to the fish used in feed.

Key Facts

Farmed salmon require approximately 1.2kg of wild fish to produce 1kg of salmon
Forage fish including anchovies and sand eels are the primary source
Sand eel availability in the North Sea affects seabird breeding success
Alternative protein sources including insects and algae are being developed
The IFFO Responsible Supply standard addresses some sustainability concerns in fishmeal

Welfare Considerations

The welfare of fish used in salmon feed is a systemic issue affecting potentially hundreds of billions of individuals. Forage fish caught for reduction to fishmeal are not stunned before processing and may experience distress during capture and crushing. Transitioning to alternative protein sources reduces this welfare impact while addressing sustainability concerns. Consumer choice of alternative salmon feeds supports producer investment in this transition.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon from producers using higher levels of alternative proteins in feed
Support research into welfare-neutral alternative proteins for aquaculture feed
Advocate for sustainability standards addressing forage fish welfare
Learn about the feed sustainability challenge in salmon aquaculture
Support sand eel protection measures that benefit both forage fish and seabirds