Deep inside a Norwegian fjord, a dream of farming salmon sustainably

HARDANGERSFJORD, NORWAY - Jørgen Wengaard steers around the rocky islands of a fjord, his boat cutting through the water’s still surface, sending ripples toward silent forested shores. But here in the Hardangersfjord of western Norway, still waters run deep: more than 2,000 feet deep. “The Norwegian coastline is perfect for farming Atlantic salmon,” says Wengaard. “We have the optimal temperature. We have good oxygen levels. We have the right salinity and the water is always changing due to strong currents. That’s very good for farming.” Wengaard is headed to one of the fjord’s several salmon farms, known by their cylindrical pens made from nylon netting, some holding hundreds of thousands of salmon each under the surface of Hardangersfjord. Norway is the world’s largest exporter of farmed salmon; more than a fifth of salmon consumed by Americans comes from the Nordic country. And as Norway exports more salmon across the world, the industry has come under criticism from ...