There is a lot of bad talk surrounding the idea of farmed salmon, and for good reason. Most farms are located in pens along the coast where the food and feces of the enclosed salmon pollutes the open ocean that surrounds them. Salmon farming is also environmentally harmful in that it takes three pounds of wild fishmeal to produce only one pound of farmed salmon. The pesticides and antibiotics used by farmers to prevent disease also get out into the open ocean and are ingested by wild fish. Though many flaws exist, sustainable salmon farming is a possibility.

One of the main problems with salmon farming is the issue of food. So much fishmeal is needed to produce so few fish, but luckily there are farms working to change that. Some sustainable farms use a vegetable based feed while others are using a fish based feed made of forage. Forage is a type of fish not consumed by people due to its small, boney body. Another important element for sustainable salmon farming is that the salmon be allowed to spawn in fresh water inland, thereby requiring the implementation of escape routes for the fish.

It is also important to protect wild fish from breeding with or being contaminated by the waste of farmed salmon. A combination of wild and farmed salmon could have a very harmful result on the natural ecosystem. Breeding between the two can threaten the wild population with disease, competition, and genetic dilution. Keeping these two populations separate is very important for sustainable salmon farming.

The biggest requirement for the success of good salmon farming is spreading the word to consumers. Educating people on the positive effects of responsible salmon farming and its availability is important for its continued success. The financial support of consumer investment is the best way to ensure that sustainable farming becomes widespread, replacing any existing environmentally harmful farms. Though the changes are gradual and they will take time to bolster salmon numbers, remaining conscious of the relationship between the environment and salmon farming and working to fix existing problems are steps in the right direction.