Tackling the elephant in the room – Large-scale salmon farming and the potential for far-field ecosystem effects
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Significant expansion in salmon production globally has been partially enabled through the establishment of large-capacity sea-farms in high-energy environments that collectively produce substantial quantities of organic waste with potential to cause regional scale environmental degradation. We analyse results from comprehensive spatial and temporal surveys of water column particulates and seabed environmental indicators for responses to farm production, and residual effects. Results confirmed that while the particles can and do reach a relatively wide area, benthic effects do not necessarily follow suit. There was limited evidence of longer-term environmental degradation at some near-field locations and spatially removed deeper sites. We concluded that evidence for regional biological effects was negligible, suggesting: i) modern waste tracing techniques are more sensitive than traditional effects indicators, and ii) waste fluxes in the far-field were being assimilated without causing environmental perturbation. Monitoring at potential accumulation points, especially for sites with complex bathymetry and hydrodynamics is advised. • Substantive novel investigation of far-field effects from large-scale salmon farming • Waste influence field relatively wide (1.3 km) but effects field spatially constrained • Negligible inter-year benthic degradation, assimilation capacity not exceeded • Spatial patterns of waste influence complex, high resolution modelling important
Source: Marine Pollution Bulletin
Institutions: The FRAM Centre, Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,630
Award: G7881803684
OpenAlex ID: W4403348852