Environmental analysis of the Norwegian fishery and aquaculture industry—A preliminary study focusing on farmed salmon

This article addresses the present status of seafood-oriented environmental methods and analyses, and pinpoints areas for further development. A recent study of the CO₂ emissions associated with the production of farmed salmon in Norway, following the life cycle from hatching to consumption, is presented. The study was initiated due to the increased focus on environmental impacts from food production among consumer organizations, retailers, and authorities. In general, several methods are being currently applied to measure environmental performance. Unfortunately, different methods provide quite different results. An additional challenge is that most of these methods were originally developed for land-based production. If assumptions about the performance of the seafood industry are established on the basis of incorrect information, consequences for both the management and the market level may not be desirable.