Inside Climate News reports on new USDA-led research finding that farmed salmon may contain significantly lower levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than previously thought. The decline is tied to a shift in salmon feed: after years of relying heavily on wild-caught forage fish, the industry has been turning to land-based ingredients like soy and corn. Laura Lee Cascada, director of DCO2 member group Aquaculture Accountability Project, describes the shift as “trading one problem—marine exploitation—for another—land exploitation.”

More fundamental to the issue is the fact that industrial-scale finfish farming relies on an enormous amount of feed, which creates ripple effects for marine ecosystems, land use, climate, and the communities that depend on those resources. NYU researcher Matthew Hayek points to the land footprint of soy used by the fish-farming industry, while the story also examines links to deforestation and rising greenhouse gas emissions.

The article also explores efforts to expand offshore fish farming in the U.S. through the MARA Act.

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Photo credit: Spencer Neuharth / USFWS, CC BY 2.0