Straight out of Norway several new designs are being pitched in the aquaculture industry. The newest is an “egg-shaped design for salmon that would hold 1,00 metric tons of fish” and is the third in design concepts submitted for developmental licences.
With other forerunners qualifying for over $ 79 million in investment, it is clear that the industry is investing deeply to maximise their profits. The material question is are these designs incorporating best practices that would minimise their environmental impact, or are they just moving the structures further into the ocean for larger dispersal.
Undercurrent news states that the new designs are “expected to be extremely escape-proof, even in extreme weather, while sitting in more exposed areas of ocean …. and should reduce biological challenges posed by diseases and sea lice.” If the last four decades have proven anything is that the only safe place for this industry is on land where there is no chance or escape and effluent can be treated properly before it’s returned to the ocean.
Norway please take these farms out of the ocean, invest on designing on-land farms, take your responsibility for ocean pollution and do the right thing, the world is watching.
For a more detailed investigative perspective on this topic check out The Pristine Coast.