What is salmon farming?

Salmon aquaculture, or salmon farming as it’s often called, involves raising salmon from “egg to market”.  The salmon are born and nurtured in freshwater hatcheries for one year and then sent to saltwater farm sites to continue growing. A farm is made up of a series of steel cages with nets that contain the fish. The fish remain at the saltwater farm for 18 to 24 months, until they are ready to be harvested. In BC, salmon farms are located in remote areas of the coast and only accessible by boat or plane.

Salmon farm employees typically live on-site in a float house provided by their employer.  They are responsible for feeding the fish, ensuring all government and company regulations are followed, as well as equipment and facility maintenance.

Salmon farming differs from salmon ranching simply because the fish are contained throughout their entire life cycle. At no time are the fish released to compete for food in the wild.