Salmon aquaculture, commonly known as salmon farming, is a mass production of salmon that makes up for 70% of the aquaculture industry (“Farmed Salmon”). Salmon farming began experimentally in the 1960s but began industrially in the 1980s. However, salmon consumption is now approximately three times higher than it was when the industry began almost 40 years ago. What was once a delicacy is now among the most popular fish species for consumption. This means that farming and producing salmon is cheaper than ever. While the first commercial salmon farms in the Northwest raised Pacific salmon, Atlantic salmon is currently the most popular type of salmon to breed. Atlantic salmon have been bred with specific traits that make them easier to farm. They grow quickly and resist disease, which is important because they are frequently exposed to the waste of thousands …show more content…
Less than one percent of Atlantic salmon is native to the wild. In the United States, Washington and Maine are the biggest producers of Atlantic salmon; states such as California and Alaska have made salmon farming illegal. The salmon industry within the United States doesn’t compare to the salmon industries in countries such as Canada, Norway, Scotland, and Chile. The industry is continuing to grow to meet the needs of the demand. Large companies are overstocking their pens with more fish than ever before. While the industry continues to grow, the concerns that salmon aquaculture impacts the environment negatively through pollution, sea lice, and the endangerment of other fish grows as well. Pollution from salmon farms is an environmental concern because it contaminates our waters and the species that live in them. There are many