The Dirty Secret of Sushi: How Norwegian Salmon Became an Ecological Disaster

The Norwegian salmon farming industry, worth $18 billion annually, causes heavy pollution in fjords, harms marine ecosystems, and leads to fish suffering. Open-net pens release waste directly into the water, causing harmful algal blooms and oxygen depletion. Fish suffer from wounds and diseases due to overcrowding. The industry is developing closed containment systems, but they are expensive.

The Norwegian salmon farming industry, worth $18 billion annually, has become an ecological disaster. Fish farms located in fjords release waste directly into the water, causing harmful algal blooms and a decline in oxygen levels. In some places, oxygen has dropped by a third since the 1950s. Fish suffer from wounds, ulcers, and diseases due to overcrowding and parasites. The industry, which supplies over half of the world's Atlantic salmon, is developing closed containment systems, but they are expensive. Norway faces a dilemma between feeding the world and preserving nature.