Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Salmon

The document analyzes the GHG footprint of salmon, noting that emissions are dominated by feed, with total retail emissions typically between 7 and 10 kgCO2e/kg edible weight. It highlights significant variability based on production methods, feed composition, and transport modes, while identifying land-use change in feed and air freight as primary targets for mitigation.

• GHG emissions for aquaculture salmon to retail typically range between 7 and 10 kgCO2e/kg edible weight (EW), though they can vary from as low as 2 to higher than 16 depending on production, packaging, and shipping. Emissions to the farm gate are typically around 6 kgCO2e/kg EW.
• Feed is the primary driver of emissions in the salmon supply chain, often accounting for more than 90% of total emissions through retail. Embedded emissions in feed mixtures generally range from 1.5 to 3 kgCO2e/kg feed.
• The GHG intensity of feed ingredients varies significantly; for terrestrial crops, the difference between the most and least intensive footprints can exceed 100 times, typically driven by low yields and high levels of land-use change (LUC).
• On-farm emissions for ocean-based systems primarily stem from fuel and electricity, ranging from 0.06 to 0.25 kgCO2e/kg EW. In contrast, land-based recirculating systems can exceed 3.5 kgCO2e/kg EW due to high electricity requirements.
• Transport emissions vary drastically by mode and distance; air freight to Asia from Europe can result in emissions near 10 kgCO2e/kg EW, which is over 10 times more GHG-intense than trucking or watercraft for the same distance tonnage.
• High-potential mitigation strategies include eliminating deforestation and conversion in feed sourcing, improving feed conversion ratios (FCR) and mortality rates, and reducing the proportion of products transported by air via flash freezing.

APA

Moberg, E., Pan, K., Liao, J., & Paul-Ajuwape, A. (2022). Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Salmon. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/203/98jogctv71_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SALMON_08_22_v3.pdf

Chicago

Moberg, Emily, Katherine Pan, Juliet Liao, and Alex Paul-Ajuwape. Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Salmon. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/203/98jogctv71_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SALMON_08_22_v3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moberg |first1=Emily |last2=Pan |first2=Katherine |last3=Liao |first3=Juliet |last4=Paul-Ajuwape |first4=Alex |title=Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Salmon |publisher=WWF International |date=17 September 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/203/98jogctv71_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SALMON_08_22_v3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moberg2022measuring, author = {Moberg, Emily and Pan, Katherine and Liao, Juliet and Paul-Ajuwape, Alex}, title = {{Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Salmon}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/203/98jogctv71_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SALMON_08_22_v3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }