Fish farms carbon footprint among lowest affirms study

New findings in Iceland are broadly in line with studies carried out in other countries, including Canada.

By SeaWestNews

A new study in Iceland has reaffirmed that the carbon
footprint of fish farming in the Arctic nation is lower than most other forms
of food production.

The detailed scientific study has established that in 2017
the total carbon dioxide (Co2) release was equivalent to 31,000 tonnes, broadly
the same as that from conventional fishing operations, but considerably lower
than general food production in the country.

The study was requested by the Icelandic Aquaculture
Federation and prepared by the Icelandic Environmental Consultancy (Environice)
according to a report in fishupdate.com

The findings should help to challenge claims by
environmental and sport salmon fishing groups, who constantly oppose fish farm
expansion plans, that aquaculture is damaging Iceland’s climate, said the
report.

A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas
emissions caused directly and indirectly by the production of a product. Carbon
footprint is measured in kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per kg edible
protein of the product.

The Icelandic Aquaculture Federation said the findings are
broadly in line with studies carried out in other countries.

The largest part of salmon farming’s carbon footprint in
Iceland (about 93 per cent) lies in the production and transport of feed, the
researchers found.

“From this it is clear that the impact on the climate lies
primarily in activities that take place outside the salmon farms themselves,”
the federation said.

John Paul Fraser, executive director of the British Columbia Salmon Farmers (BCSFA) in an op-ed published recently said fish farmers are already setting the example in Canada with salmon, which is raised with very small greenhouse gas emissions.

B.C. salmon farmers emit only 2.2 kilograms of carbon
dioxide for every kilogram of edible fish produced. That is less than half of
any animal raised on land, including 5.1 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of
chicken, 6.4 kilograms for pork, and 37.2 kilograms for beef.

In addition, salmon are cold-blooded, so they convert more
of the food they eat to muscle than warm-blooded animals farmed on land – only
1.1 kilograms of feed is needed to increase a farmed salmon’s weight by one
kilogram, while it takes 1.9 kilograms of feed for chicken, 3.8 kilograms for
pork and 8.0 kilograms for beef.

“Ocean-based salmon farms are powered largely by clean,
limitless ocean currents rather than electricity and oil, which positions the
industry to meet the world’s growing demand for healthy, nutrient-rich protein
while reducing environmental stress to our planet,” wrote Fraser.