Closing the Gaps: Reforming Salmon Aquaculture Regulation

Bans. Regulations. Stricter policies. They’re all the result of increased calls for sustainable salmon farming worldwide.

In Argentina, the southern province of Tierra del Fuego banned open net-pens salmon farms in 2021 due to concerns over marine ecosystem damage and threats to the local economy.¹

Sweden has effectively banned open net-pen salmon farming nationwide, citing incompatibility with good environmental practices.² In Canada, the federal government pledged to phase out open net-pen Atlantic salmon farms in British Columbia by 2025, though the deadline was controversially extended to 2029.³,⁴

And Norway, the world’s largest salmon producer, regulates fish farming through strict biomass limits, a "traffic light" system to combat sea lice and ongoing innovations like closed-containment systems, though critics argue these measures remain insufficient.⁵,⁶

Globally, environmental concerns are driving activism, with calls for bans in regions such as Iceland and Tasmania that reflect a broader push toward sustainable practices like closed containment systems.⁷,⁸

Here's an overview of the regulatory landscape:

Argentina

• Argentina’s southernmost province banned the use of intensive open net-pen salmon farms in 2021 due to serious concerns about the impact the large cages, which can each contain tens of thousands of fish, could have on the marine environment and local economy. The decision taken by the provincial legislature in Tierra del Fuego, followed campaigns and demonstrations by locals and effectively bans salmon farming in Argentina according to The Buenos Aires Times.¹,⁹

‍Sweden

• Sea cage farming is very restricted in Sweden. This is due to strict regulations and a strong push toward more sustainable closed-containment systems for salmon aquaculture. Sweden’s environmental courts have stated that sea cages are incompatible with good environmental practice, effectively banning new sites.²

Canada

• In 2019, the B.C. government pledged to “phase out” open net-pen Atlantic salmon farms, due to the negative effects they could have on wild Pacific salmon populations. This decision aimed to protect wild salmon populations and address environmental concerns.³ The original deadline was set for the summer of 2025, but in June 2024, the Canadian federal government announced that closures would be delayed until 2029 to “accommodate the production cycle for fish.”⁴
• The extension to 2029 has been met with criticism from environmental groups and public figures, who argue that it prolongs harm to wild salmon.¹⁰ Conversely, industry proponents warn of economic losses and job cuts due to the impending ban.¹¹

Norway

• As the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon, Norway accounts for 50% of the global market.¹² However, the salmon farming industry has grappled with harsh climate effects in Norway, such as increased fish mortality due to cold weather and jellyfish attacks, as well as parasites such as sea lice.¹³
• As a result, operators in the country are required to obtain licenses, adhere to biomass limits and implement measures to control sea lice and prevent escapes. Norway also uses a "traffic light" system to regulate the number of fish allowed in a production area based on the risk of sea lice killing wild salmon.⁵
• The government imposes fees and mandates treatment of waste to mitigate environmental impacts. Yet some critics argue that their regulations are not strong enough, particularly regarding issues like environmental impact assessments, monitoring data accuracy and potential overstocking of fish pens, leading to concerns about pollution and damage to wild fish populations.⁶
  
  

United States

• In the U.S., the industry is regulated under federal laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, alongside state-specific regulations. As in the rest of the world, commercial fishing for wild Atlantic salmon is prohibited, making all Atlantic salmon in the U.S. market farmed.¹¹
• Salmon farming is banned in Alaska, Oregon, California and Washington. Thus, with Washington state’s ban finalized in January of 2025, no commercial sea cage fin fish farming is allowed along the entire 1,293-mile-long (2,080 kilometer-long) US West Coast and throughout Alaska. As a result, Maine is the only state in the U.S. where sea cage salmon farming currently exists.¹⁵,¹⁶,¹⁷
• Environmental organizations have raised concerns about the adequacy of regulations, particularly in Maine, where current permits may not limit the amount of fish waste or nitrogen pollution from industrial farms. Advocates call for more robust regulations to protect coastal waters.¹⁶,¹⁷

Denmark

• In 2019, Denmark stopped issuing permits for new operations and halted any future expansion of existing farms. The decision was made because the country had "reached the limit of how many fish can be farmed at sea without risking the environment..." according to Lea Wermelin, Danish Environment Minister.²⁵ There has been no further expansion since that time.
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Scotland

• Scotland's salmon farming industry is regulated by multiple agencies, including Marine Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).¹⁸ Regulations focus on environmental protection, fish health and sustainable development. 
• However, the industry has faced scrutiny over environmental impacts, leading to calls for stricter regulations and moratoriums on expansion. In 2023, SEPA established a series of wild salmon protection zones along the West Coast and Western Isles. These are sea lochs and other bottlenecks through which salmon populations must migrate to reach more open sea. 
• Sea lice exposure thresholds are used in these zones for assessing their capacity to accommodate sea lice larvae emanating from farms without a significant risk to wild salmon post-smolts.¹⁹
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Chile

• Chile is a major producer of farmed salmon, with regulations overseen by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA). Nearly half of farmed salmon imported to the U.S. comes from Chile, making it the world's second-largest producer of farmed salmon and the largest exporter to the U.S. 
• The industry has faced challenges related to disease outbreaks and environmental concerns. Over two-thirds of Chilean farmed salmon is rated “red” by advocacy groups like Seafood Watch due to the high use of antibiotics.²⁰
• One challenge for Chilean producers is an endemic bacterial disease that drives heavy use of antibiotics. Seafood Watch is working with producers to attempt to reduce the use of antibiotics in Chilean farmed salmon by 50% by the end of 2025.²⁶
• Calls to limit industry expansion have faced stiff resistance by industry, and, as of 2024, were still heavily debated.²⁷

Iceland

• Iceland has a growing salmon farming industry, regulated by the Directorate of Fisheries, the Environment Agency and the Food and Veterinary Authority. Between “January and August 2024 the export value of salmon reached more than ISK 25 billion (EUR 167.6 million / USD 183.4 million)… an increase of about one-third compared to the previous year.”²⁸
• In the face of this growth, there is increasing pressure from environmental groups, the tourism industry, river owners and large multinational companies like Patagonia to ban the practice due to its impact on the environment and wild Atlantic salmon stocks.²¹ 

Faroe Islands

• ‍The Faroe Islands produced approximately 80,000 metric tons (88,000 tons) of farmed salmon in 2023, with projections of 90,000 metric tons (99,000 tons) for 2024. State regulations include disease and parasite management strategies such as reducing sea lice through land-based smolt production, frequent sampling and limiting farms to one per fjord with mandatory fallowing.²²

Australia

• Environmental conflicts in Tasmania, most recently pertaining to marine pollution that threatens to leave an ancient ray extinct, have led to debates over the impact of salmon farming on local ecosystems, with potential implications for industry operations.²

Environmental activism is influencing policy changes worldwide, leading to increased regulations, moratoriums or bans on open net-pen salmon farming in certain regions. This dynamic is prompting the industry to adapt and explore more sustainable practices.¹,³,⁴,⁷,⁸,¹⁰,¹⁷,²¹

For example, there is a global trend toward adopting closed containment systems, both land-based and in water, to mitigate environmental impacts associated with open net pens. These systems aim to prevent fish escapes, reduce disease transmission and manage waste more effectively.⁴,¹⁴,²⁴

As public pressure and ecological concerns continue to mount, these shifts underscore a growing recognition that the industry poses serious environmental risks, and that protecting wild salmon and prioritizing ecosystem health must take precedence.