Life Cycle Assessment of Aquaculture Stewardship Council Certified Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar )

Jesse Sherry and Jennifer Koester
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Jesse Sherry: Environmental Studies, Eckerd College 4200 54th Ave N, St Petersburg, FL 33711, USA
Jennifer Koester: Environmental Studies, Eckerd College 4200 54th Ave N, St Petersburg, FL 33711, USA

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: Salmon aquaculture has grown rapidly and is expected to continue to grow to meet consumer demand. Due to concerns about the environmental impacts associated with salmon aquaculture, eco-labeling groups have developed standards intended to hold salmon producers accountable and provide a more sustainable option to consumers. This study utilized life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts of salmon raised to Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification standards in order to determine if ASC certification achieves the intended reductions in impact. We find that environmental impacts, such as global warming potential, do not decrease with certification. We also find that salmon feed, in contrast to the on-site aquaculture practices, dominates the environmental impacts of salmon aquaculture and contributes to over 80% of impacts in ozone depletion, global warming potential, acidification, and ecotoxicity. Based on these findings, we recommend that eco-labeling groups prioritize reducing the environmental impacts of the feed supply chain.

Keywords: eco-labeling; fisheries; environmental impact; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6079-:d:391236

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