Norway's salmon farming: An ecological and ethical failure, not a success

A reader's opinion published in Helsingin Sanomat argues that Norway's celebrated salmon farming industry is far from a success, labeling it as ecologically and ethically unsustainable. The piece contends that, much like other intensive forms of agriculture, fish farming carries significant environmental and ethical costs.

The author criticizes the conditions within fish farms, describing them as cramped environments where salmon, a migratory species, are confined in circles. This intensive confinement leads to high mortality rates and makes the fish susceptible to parasites. Furthermore, the feed used for farmed salmon, often made from fishmeal, has detrimental effects on wild fish populations.

The production of fishmeal is depicted as a practice that depletes natural fish stocks, deprives seabirds and marine animals of their food source, and causes hardship for local fishing communities in production countries by taking away their food and livelihood. The opinion piece points out that a substantial portion of the fish used for fishmeal could otherwise be suitable for human consumption.

Drawing a parallel to Norway's oil production, upon which much of its wealth is built, the author asserts that ethically questionable and environmentally harmful activities should not be considered successes. Instead, they represent a "huge and cumulative disaster" for everyone. The piece concludes by urging a re-evaluation of what constitutes genuine success, distinguishing it from practices that cause widespread harm.