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 Since its humble beginnings in Norway in the 1960's, Atlantic salmon aquaculture has rapidly expanded into a valuable international industry capable of meeting the growing world demand for more market salmon. The world's 470 salmon hatcheries, and more than 1000 salmon farms produced 345,000 tonnes of salmon in 1993. Production continues to rise as demand for the delicacy increases. Although Pacific salmon are farmed in operations in Japan, Chile, the United States and Canada, Atlantic salmon still accounted in 1993 for 90% of the world's total. Norway remains the largest producer, accounting for 150,00 tonnes, following by Chile with 50,000 tonnes and Scotland with 45,000 tonnes. Canadian production exceeded 32,000 tonnes, with 21,000 tonnes coming from British Columbia. In southwestern New Brunswick industry alone is worth more than $100 million and creates about 500 jobs, directly in the farming industry and 1000 jobs in spin-off industries, such as feed production, cage manufacturing and transportation. In the United States, production totalled 6000 tonnes in 1993 from farms in Maine on the Atlantic Coast. Cultured salmon are first reared to smolt size in shore-based freshwater atcheries, then transferred to floating sea cages or enclosed coves until ready for market as 3-5 Kg fish some 18 months later. Under these controlled conditioned, up to 85% of all smolt can be expected to reach maturity; in the wild survival rarely exceed 4%. The advantages of year-round delivery, excellent product quality and the ability to replace the traditional harvest of wild fish earmark aquaculture as the primary supplier of Atlantic salmon for future markets. Salmon aquaculture has increased to the extent that the production of farmed salmon is now fifty times the harvest of the wild fish and, in some rivers, fish have escaped from salmon farms now outnumber the wild fish. Following considerations of the treat posed by salmon aquaculture, which include genetic disease and other envirometnal impacts, NASCO has adopted guidelines to minimize the threats to wild salmon stock from salmon aquaculture. To determine the spawning and genetic interaction which occurs between wild and escaped farmed slamon, the ATlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans conducts research on the Magaguadavic River, which empties into the Bay of Fundy, the centre of the New Brunswick is also cooperating with ASF's genetic program on research into the use of sterile stocks in aquaculture. |
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Main The Atlantic Salmon The Salmon Life Cycle The Fisheries Managing The Resource Aquaculture Brook Trout Hatchery Process Image Gallery | ||
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