Why are salmon farms in Norway turning to veggie menu?

Published 2024년 2월 22일

Tridge summary

Norwegian fish farms are shifting towards a more sustainable practice by feeding their salmon a vegetarian diet, consisting of plant-based materials, fish oil, vitamins, minerals and pigment. This is a departure from the less sustainable practice of using wild fish as feed. However, concerns have been raised about the potential negative impact on aquatic birds and impoverished populations. Alternatives such as using black soldier flies as feed have been suggested, but the higher cost has deterred fish farmers from adopting this method. Experts suggest that fish farms need to explore other methods to reduce their environmental footprint, such as better use of human food waste or underutilized marine resources.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

ELESUND, Norway: Norway’s fish farms are feeding their salmon an increasingly vegetarian diet in order to make their businesses more sustainable, but for these carnivorous pink-fleshed fish, all is not rosy. In submerged cages at the Oksebasen fish farm, located at the crossing of two fjords in western Norway, the salmon are under constant watch on mobile underwater cameras. Click here to get exclusive content with Gulf News WhatsApp channel At the first sign the fish are feeling a little peckish, employees at an operations centre 100 kilometres (60 miles) away turn on a “sub-feeder” which releases special pellets swiftly gobbled up by the hungry fish. The small brown granules consist primarily of plant-based materials, 20 to 30 per cent fish oil and meal, as well as vitamins, minerals and pigment to give the salmon’s flesh its characteristic pink colour. “Before, fish feed was made exclusively of marine ingredients,” or in other words, wild fish, explains operations manager ...

Source: Gulfnews