Are shrimp or salmon a viable food source to feed the worlds population?
In looking at the need for animal protein, including that from seafood, we need to think about the efficiency with which we produce it. As we look at salmon in particular we see that salmon and other predatory fish like trout are among the least efficient converters of feed. We’re beginning to see some of the limits on salmon production because of the limits of the fishmeal supply to feed them. Fish processing plants and fisheries that provide the smaller, less desirable fish have their own limits. We need to think about how to most efficiently satisfy the growing need for animal protein, in this case, the growing demand for seafood. So I think salmon will not fare well in that competition over the long run. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so small today, compared with carp production in China. Salmon production is probably not more than one million tons today. Most of it is produced in Norway, Scotland, Canada, and Chile. Carp production is maybe 15 times that or so, and growing at
