VICTORIA, BC — Large-scale farming of fish that themselves have low environmental impact can nonetheless lead to higher environmental damage, according to an assessment of farmed fish and the countries that produce them.
The research, performed by the University of Victoria's Seafood Research Ecology Group, also found that regions with the fastest-growing fish farming sectors are linked to more negative impacts.
The Seafood Research Ecology Group, led by marine ecologist John Volpe, used the Global Aquaculture Performance Index, which it created, to assess 20 fish species and 22 countries, based on 10 indicators.
The research focused on finfish like salmon, cod and grouper, and looked at criteria like reliance on capturing wild fish to stock farms, antibiotics use, water pollutants discharge and industrial energy use.
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