1. A long time ago, in a country far,
far away…

2. Brief History of Atlantic Salmon
Aquaculture
• The aquaculture of Atlantic Salmon
originally started in the late 1800s-1900s as
a means to increase returning wild salmon
yields to fishermen(“Cultured Aquatic
Species”2013).
• Eggs were fertilized and then released into
riverine systems
• In the 1970s, the first sea cage aquaculture
began off the shores of Norway(“Cultured
Aquatic Species”2013)
• Presently, Atlantic Salmon are reared all
over the world. In the U.S., Atlantic Salmon
are raised in Maine and Washington.
• Around 20,000 tons ($130,000,000.00) of
Atlantic Salmon are farmed in the U.S.
every year(“Fishwatch”2012).

3. • Wild populations breed with escaped farm
populations which leads to less genetic
diversity
• Atlantic salmon populations are now extinct in 42
U.S. rivers and are endangered in the remaining
eight. These eight rivers – located in Maine – saw
a combined total of just 72 salmon returning from
the ocean in 2003(“Atlantic Salmon”2013).
• Habitat loss due to dams, past overfishing, and
pollution are contributors to declining numbers of
these salmon.

4. Threats of farming in the Pacific and Atlantic
• In the early 2000’s there was quite a bit of public
concern regarding escaped Atlantic Salmon in the
Pacific Northwest.
• There is no evidence that Atlantic Salmon have
established populations in the Pacific Northwest
even after effort to establish populations in the
80’s and 90’s(McKinnel, S 1997).
• There is disputing research about salmon farming
causing sea louse blooms which may cause wild
populations of salmon to decline or go
extinct(Krkosec, 2007).
• Dead zones are areas under cages that create low
oxygen and nutrient rich environments that
cannot support life(Leahy, 2008).
• Farmed Atlantic Salmon have low genetic
diversity, which is hurting wild populations of
Atlantic and Pacific salmon.

5. Genetic Diversity
Farmed Atlantic Salmon have the
greatest negative impacts on their
own home range.
Farmed Atlantic Salmon are very
different from their wild conterparts.

6. Disease Outbreak
• As mentioned before, sea lice
can possibly have detrimental
effects on both wild and farmed
fish.
• Diseases outbreaks occur quite
a bit in farmed salmon but
historically haven’t spread to
wild salmon.
• Salmon anemia is a new
exception to this
rule(Dean,C.,&Nuwer,R, 2013).

7. Dead Zones
• Still a threat but
not as much
anymore.
• Moveable cages
greatly help keep
dead zones from
occurring
• Pollution still a
problem

8. Will Atlantic Salmon Farming Kill Pacific Salmon?
Maybe
…Probably not
•
•
Very rarely hybridize
with pacific salmon
Majority of fishes
can’t compete with
pacific salmon

9. Surprising Findings…
• Atlantic Salmon farming
more detrimental to wild
Atlantic Salmon than
Pacific Northwest systems
• Habitat loss, lack of genetic
diversity, overfishing by far
the largest threat to Pacific
Salmon

10. How do we restore Pacific
fisheries?

11. • Banned fish farming in
1989
• Has a sustainable
fisheries (Bristol bay)
• Still has problems with
aquacultured pacific
salmon

12. Problems with
aquaculture
• More than 20% of all salmon
returning to spawning grounds are
aquacultured
• Low genetic diversity
• Large numbers of fingerlings
released into systems breaches
carrying capacity
• Dams confuse fish and prolongs
migrations

13. Different ways to aquaculture Pacific
Salmon
• New methods collect
salmon from staging
areas and help increase
diversity
• Lower number of raised
fish
• Tear down dams
(yeah, right)

14. Other threats (and possible solutions)
Problems
• Hydro-electric
dams
• Development
• Pollution
(Pebble Mine)
Solutions
• Tear down old dams/
more research into fish
passages
• Set aside systems as notouch
• Just say no to mines

15. • Atlantic Salmon may
not impact Pacific
Northwest Salmon as
much as we thought
• Human users must be
considered
• People eat seafood
more than everaquaculture is still the
best answer

16. A combination of research,
public interest and
participation, combined
with making the necessary
sacrifices and willingness
to commit (restrictions on
fishing, no development
etc.) is what is required for
all salmon populations to
be able to recover.

19. FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Salmo salar. (n.d.). FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Salmo salar. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from
http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Salmo_salar/en
FishWatch. (n.d.). NOAA. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from
http://www.fishwatch.gov/seafood_profiles/species/salmon/species_pages/atlantic_salmon_farmed.htm
SeaWeb - Ocean Briefing Book. (n.d.). SeaWeb - Ocean Briefing Book. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from
http://www.seaweb.org/resources/briefings/atsalmon.php
McKinnell, S. (1997). Recent Events Concerning Atlantic Salmon Escapees In The Pacific. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 54(6), 1221-1225.
Krkosek, M., Ford, J. S., Morton, A., Lele, S., Myers, R. A., & Lewis, M. A. (2007). Declining Wild Salmon Populations In Relation To Parasites From Farm
Salmon. Science, 318(5857), 1772-1775.
Leahy, S. (n.d.). BIODIVERSITY: The Real Price of Farmed Salmon>. BIODIVERSITY: The Real Price of Farmed Salmon>. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from
http://ipsnorthamerica.net/print.php?idnews=1833
Dean, C., & Nuwer, R. (n.d.). Salmon-Killing Virus Seen for First Time in the Wild on the Pacific Coast. www.nytimes.com. Retrieved November 21, 2013,
from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/science/18salmon.html?_r=0
Gable, D. (n.d.). ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment. : Hatchery-Raised Salmon Threatening Wild Salmon in the Pacific
Northwest. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41956