May 5, 2023

New book slams aquaculture salmon as "poison for the planet"

A new book-length investigation into salmon aquaculture pushes back against the industry's claim that farm-raised salmon is a healthy, environmentally friendly seafood option, according to its publisher, Patagonia.

Written by Norwegian journalists Simen Saetre and Kjetil Ostli, "The New Fish: The Truth about Farmed Salmon and the Consequences We Can No Longer Ignore" purports to tell the story of "how a once healthy food source became poison for the planet and for people." The authors' five-year investigation traces salmon aquaculture back to its emergence in 1970s when it was presented as a healthier protein option and an environmentally sustainable food source.

But while the new farm-raised salmon industry boomed, the authors contend that the practice "has come at high cost to the environment and wild salmon."

Originally published in Norway in 2021, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard brought the book to the attention of the company's publishing programme, which purchased the translation rights for the US market.

"Yvon feels, and we agree, that it is a vital resource in Patagonia's ongoing campaign to eliminate net-pen salmon farming," said Karla Olson, director of Patagonia's publishing programme.

Patagonia, the famous outdoor clothing and gear provider, is opposed to most forms of aquaculture and has published media attacking the practice in the past.

In publishing the new translation, Patagonia suggested that net-pen bans in the US states of Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska are signs that momentum is shifting on the practice.

Salmon aquaculture has been a contentious issue in the Pacific Northwest for decades, peaking in 2017 when more than 260,000 Atlantic salmon escaped from a farm operated in Washington by Canada-based Cooke Aquaculture. That in turn led to the state government banning Atlantic salmon and other non-native fish farming in 2018.

- SeafoodSource