Dead Loss

The report finds that industrial salmon farming in the four primary producing regions (Norway, Scotland, Canada, and Chile) generated approximately USD$47.3 billion in private and external costs between 2013 and 2019. Economic losses are driven by high mortality rates and the cost of sea lice control, while environmental costs include carbon emissions, local pollution, and the depletion of wild fish stocks. Social costs are primarily linked to poor fish welfare and the diversion of forage fish from human consumption in developing regions like West Africa. The authors argue that current intensive farming practices are a 'false economy' and recommend a transition to alternative feeds and improved husbandry standards.

• The total private and external costs of salmon aquaculture across Norway, Scotland, Canada, and Chile from 2013 to 2019 are estimated at USD$47.3 billion, with approximately 60% (USD$28 billion) borne by producers and 40% (USD$19 billion) by wider society.
• High mortality rates represent a significant opportunity cost for farmers, totaling USD$15.5 billion across the four main producing countries since 2013. In Norway alone, reducing mortality rates to 5.5% (comparable to egg-laying hen farms) would result in annual savings of over USD$892 million based on 2019 data.
• The cost of controlling sea lice is estimated at over USD$4 billion since 2013 for the four primary producing countries, representing between 6% and 8.5% of production costs.
• The use of marine ingredients (fish meal and fish oil) in aquafeed cost the industry over USD$8 billion across the four countries between 2013 and 2019.
• Environmental costs are substantial, with the social cost of carbon emissions estimated at USD$8.3 billion and local pollution abatement costs estimated at over USD$4 billion since 2013.
• Salmon farming contributes to the destruction of wild salmon stocks, with a calculated welfare loss to households in Canada, Norway, and Scotland of USD$308 million.
• The use of forage fish in salmon feed results in an indirect ecosystem loss of approximately USD$1.78 billion over seven years, based on the lost contribution of these fish to the commercial catch of predator species.
• Poor fish welfare represents a social cost of USD$4.67 billion, derived from the willingness of European and Canadian consumers to pay a price premium (approximately 14%) for higher welfare standards.
• Diverting forage fish from direct human consumption in West Africa to the FMFO industry causes socio-economic losses; a case study of Norway's fish oil imports from Mauritania in 2018 showed a loss of USD$37.5 million to Mauritania in 2019.
• For the top ten global salmon producers, the combined cost of mortalities and lice treatment since 2013 is estimated at USD$7.1 billion, which is 12% of their total revenues over that period.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Dead Loss. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dead_Loss_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Dead Loss. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dead_Loss_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Dead Loss |date=February 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dead_Loss_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021dead, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Dead Loss}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dead_Loss_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }