Life-Cycle Assessment of Salmon Fisheries and Aquaculture (LCA)
Measuring salmon's environmental, social and economic impacts
Researchers from the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology, Ecotrust, and Dalhousie University are undertaking a multi-year project to rigorously evaluate and compare the major life cycle environmental and social impacts associated with the production of farmed and wild-caught salmon for human consumption — from the point of harvest or culture to consumer-ready seafood products. This project is the first global, comprehensive "cradle-to-grave" assessment of a major seafood system.
The project focuses on three major production regions: 1) the North-East Atlantic (Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Faroe Islands, and Iceland), 2) Chile, and 3) the North-East Pacific (Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington State), and three widely available, consumer-ready salmon products that are available from both wild caught and farmed sources: a) a 200g frozen salmon fillet, b) a 500g portion of smoked salmon, and c) a single serving of sashimi-grade fresh salmon.
Using a formal Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework, the project team will quantitatively assess the relative environmental and social costs of alternative salmon production systems. The analysis of salmon products sourced from commercial fisheries will take into account the diversity of harvesting technologies currently employed on the major salmon fishing grounds (purse seine, gill net and troll). Similarly, the analysis of the environmental and social impacts associated with contemporary farmed salmon production will account for the major differences, e.g. differences in feed formulation, that currently exist between the major salmon farming regions of the world. The analysis will also include the assessment of the life cycle environmental and social impacts associated with both a certified organic and a land-based farmed salmon system. The final analytical aspects of the project will be the development of an environmentally optimal production scenario within the context of both the farmed and wild caught production systems, and the characterization of a set of social indicators of sustainable salmon production.
World production of salmon
There are four sets of outcomes from this project:
- Nuanced international and intraregional comparisons of salmon production and harvest technologies, processing platforms and product forms;
- Analytical content for labeling, marketing, policy, industry training, and consumer education initiatives;
- Set of ISO-compatible standards and indicators for sustainable seafood production for extension of and integration with existing certification and labeling schemes; and
- Training and communication materials for industry leaders, consumers and the general public to foster responsible, "true cost" based investment, management and purchasing decisions.
As of September 2007, Phase I: NE Pacific is complete, while Phase II: NE Atlantic & Chile is underway.
