andrewducker | Interesting Links for 26-04-2021

The sustainability of land-based aquaculture (ie its ability to consistently make a profit while complying with relevant local environmental regulations) would presumably depend entirely on the location, the technology used, the local regulatory environment, and the variety of fish in question. From everything I've heard, the capital cost is high, but the running costs and product wastage can both be lower, sometimes substantially lower, than in open-sea aquaculture.

Salmon farms in the ocean have significant issues with

transmission of disease between farmed and wild salmon [both directions]

seals breaking in and eating the farmed salmon

land based farms would really help with both issues.

I foresee attacks by bands of roving seals on motorbikes. Or roller skates.

Fish farms on land, usually tilapia (sp?) are often mentioned as part of a vertical farming set up. I think the idea is that the fish eat the by-products from the fruit and veg farm.

Cost-wise I could see how land based farms might be cheaper to operate (less disease, fewer seals for starters). Any thing done in the wager is harder and more expensive - especially saltwater. Or I could see that it might not be that cheap after all.

I think all of the salmon farms in Scotland are in sea-lochs. I assume most Scandinavian ones are in fjords. So close to shore and in sheltered waters. Not sure how that affects the costs of operation compared to big fancy tanks on land.

The Chilean ones are down by the Lake District, and take advantage of the Humboldt Current, which is apparently better for the fish. Unfortunately, it also brings sea-lions (which in Chilean Spanish are lobos del mar, sea-wolves).

Chilean smoked salmon is very good.

I shall keep an eye out for Chilean smoked salmon but it's pretty difficult to get anything other than Scottish salmon here, obviously.

Scottish seafood is lovely! I had a very nice weekend at Poolewe once, visiting the gardens, and the towns around, and eating at assorted seafood places.

Chilean fruit is fabulous too. Marks&Spencer in London had Chilean cherries in January/February, and they're the best.

The seafood is one of the great delights of living here.

My favourite experience was visting Oban and going out for dinner in a restaurant on the quay. We'd watched the catch being landed off the boat earlier that day. It was so nice that my wife even ate scallops which she otherwise considers too bouncy to be a food.

I assume most Scandinavian ones are in fjords.

Sure. What a fjord is, exactly, is a bit of a semantic can of worms, but in Norway that'd certainly be the case. I'd imagine Denmark as well, because Danish fish farming is concentrated in Jutland. I'm not clear on the Swedish situation. I know a Swedish company wants to jump on the land-farm bandwagon and I know there was some vague discussion in Norway about doing the same, around half a decade ago, but I have no idea if it went anywhere.

Edited 2021-04-27 11:04 (UTC)

I believe Sweden has lots and lots of island - so lots of sheltered places near to land to put fish farms.

In what way is fjord a semantic can of worms.

(I've always thought of a fjord as what I'd all a sealoch.)

The Wikipedia article has a good summary. Basically it boils down to Scandinavian usage (apparently) being a touch broader than the English usage.

It really would help with both issues, I think. If properly regulated. We've had enough in-ocean contamination effects.

Always seems to be the next big thing coming down the pike, except for the problem of making money. It's like the revival of the American chestnut, which gets announced every 5-10 years in American media.

Interesting Links for 26-04-2021

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This land-based farming of wet things