Facts about Norwegian salmon
Living close to nature and using natural resources means refining and innovating the practices needed for living of the sea. Norwegian aquaculture and salmon farming has developed technologies and practices in line with governmental regulations for more than 50 years.
Here you can read more about how Norwegian aquaculture works with salmon farming, and facts about Norwegian farmed salmon.
Norwegian farmed salmon is of the species Atlantic salmon.
Salmon farming in Norway started with the first official fish farm in 1970. In the late 1980s, the export of Norwegian salmon grew, and today, Norway has over 50 percent of the global salmon market.
Management, regulations and research on Norwegian aquaculture
Norwegian aquaculture is strictly managed by the government, as well as monitored by scientific institutions. Some of the institutions that work closely with aquaculture management in Norway are:
- The Directorate of Fisheries
Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Fisheries’ advisory and executive body in matters pertaining to fishing and the management of aquaculture. - The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA)
A national governmental body, whose aim is to ensure that food and drinking water are as safe as possible for consumers and to contribute to a high level of plant, fish and animal health. - Institute of Marine Research
Provides research and advice and is tasked with monitoring both the fish and fish feed.
The combination of law, regulations, scientific research and monitoring helps the industry operate in safe and innovative ways.
Norwegian salmon, health and nutrition
Norwegian salmon is full of important and necessary nutrients and is therefore good for a balanced and healthy diet. Salmon is one of our best available sources of omega-3 fats as well as many other essential nutrients.
Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for both brain and heart health. One normal dinner portion of salmon covers a person’s weekly recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids (EFSA recommendation). Salmon is also a great source for vitamins A, B, D, selenium, potassium, iodine and antioxidants.
See example of nutrients in a salmon dinner on Matvaretabellen's website.
Antibiotics and Norwegian salmon
With the introduction of effective vaccination along with careful supervision from dedicated fish health experts, Norwegian aquaculture has all but eliminated the use of antibiotics.
Today, less than 1% of all Norwegian salmon are treated with antibiotics during its lifecycle. Treated fish are subject to a strict quarantine period to make sure no antibiotic residues end up in consumer products.
Read more about salmon, antibiotics and environmental substances here.
Norwegian salmon and sustainability
All food production leaves some mark on the environment around it. The Norwegian aquaculture industry works continuously on improvement and innovation, implementing practices and management to work more sustainably.
A sustainable industry is one that meets our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources.
The future of food
To ensure a food-secure future for all, the fisheries and aquaculture sector is key – and as a major seafood nation, Norway has a special responsibility to promote and pioneer sustainable practices in seafood production.
- In order to meet the demands of a growing global population, agriculture needs to produce about 50 percent more food, feed and fibre by 2050 compared with the volumes it generated in 2012, according to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, aquatic food systems (or "blue foods") were formally recognized as a critical, low-emission solution for global climate mitigation, adaptation, and food security.
- 160 Nations, including Norway, declared their intent to work collaboratively and expeditiously to pursue a shift from higher greenhouse gas-emitting practices to more sustainable production and consumption approaches, including by reducing food loss and waste and promoting sustainable aquatic blue foods.
Carbon footprint
Compared to other proteins such as pork and beef, Norwegian salmon has a low carbon footprint. In fact, salmon farming’s CO2 footprint is around ten times lower than beef production.
The relatively low carbon footprint is due to the low energy needs of salmon, which means it requires less feed than other farmed animals (production of animal feed is a significant source of CO2 emission).
The CO2 emissions from the farming process of salmon are also relatively low. The edible yield of salmon (edible meat of total animal weight) is also higher than many other protein options.
Farmed Norwegian salmon is a very resource efficient type of animal farming, meaning the need for water and feed needed to produce edible meat is less than for most other proteins. Today, we only need around 1.15 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of salmon.
Environment
Like most forms of food production, the Norwegian aquaculture industry also has environmental footprints. At a local level, emissions entail droppings of feed and faeces beneath the fish farms.
This is why the seabeds beneath all fish farms in Norway are subject to environmental inspections by independent third parties. According to the monitoring programme, more than 90 percent of all fish farms in Norway are documented to have good or very good environmental conditions.
By regulation, all farms in Norway are also subject to a fallowing (no farming) period after each farming cycle. This is in place to allow for a recovery period for the natural seabed.
Read more about the environmental conditions of fish farms here (Norwegian).
Norwegian salmon feed
The salmon feed is adapted according to the fish’s age, stage of development, weight, physiology and behaviour.
Norwegian salmon feed is made from a mix of marine and vegetable ingredients. The marine raw material derives from fish and fish trimmings from well-regulated fisheries.
The vegetable ingredients in the feed are derived from plants like:
- Soy
- Sunflowers
- Rapeseed
- Corn
- Beans
- Wheat
The feed also contains important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Plant raw materials can have a high climate footprint if they are grown in deforested areas, but soy from Brazil used in the Norwegian aquaculture industry comes from a 100 percent deforestation-free value chain and has a lower climate footprint than, for example, fishmeal.
The fishmeal used today has a footprint of around 1 kg CO2e/kg raw material on average.
Soy protein concentrate from Brazil is around 0.6 kg CO2e/kg raw material on average.
The marine ingredients in the Norwegian salmon feed production come from fisheries that are managed in accordance with FAO's Code of conduct for responsible fisheries.
Norwegian salmon grows slowly in the cold fjords of Norway
It takes two to three years for the Norwegian salmon to reach a body weight of 4–5 kg, which is the most common size for Norwegian salmon when it is slaughtered.
Norwegian salmon is feed-efficient
Since salmon is cold-blooded, energy is not required to keep warm. The activity of swimming also requires far less energy than walking, allowing salmon to outperform most land-farmed protein options in terms of energy use.
This allows for more efficient use of feed, which is positive from a resource and climate perspective.
In contrast to other animals, this is a small amount of feed. According to the Norwegian feed producer Skretting, poultry needs 1.7 kg of feed and cattle need 6.6 kg of feed for every 1 kg of weight gain.
Norwegian fish farms
Aquaculture sites are legally liable to ensure that they are operated in a way that promotes fish health.
Site managers, salmon farmers, personnel at fish processing sites and transport staff must demonstrate their theoretical and practical knowledge of fish welfare. They also take part in training every five years.
Aquaculture sites are designed and maintained to allow a steady and free flow of fresh water through the fish pen. Oxygen saturation, temperature and salinity are checked regularly to ensure good water quality.
Space in the fish pens and cages
Regulations make sure that salmon pens don’t get overcrowded. Regulations require that the salmon only fill 2.5% of the total fish pen. Fresh flowing water constitutes the remaining 97.5%, allowing sufficient space for the salmon to move around.
Sharp edges and materials that may harm the fish are prohibited in the cages. The cages must also be designed to give the fish the best possible protection against attacks from other animals.