What are the right conditions for cage farming?
There must be natural shelter from storms and large waves, water depth in the range 15 to 50 meters and consistent tidal water exchange. Water flow should average speed greater than about 5 cm/s but this is not fixed. Rather it is dependent on stocking density and total biomass (total weight of fish) on a particular site. Suitable conditions occur along the fjiordic and channel coastlines of British Columbia, Canada, Chile, Norway and Scotland and this is the reason that salmon farming has been so successful in these countries. Similar conditions exist in many other countries, though to a lesser extent. Where they do occur, such as in Greece, Japan, parts of Australia and in Washington and Maine, USA, cage farming of several species of fish is now established.
