Abstract

AbstractLand-based farming of salmon is emerging for a number of reasons. The demand for salmon is increasing in many parts of the world. In recent years there has been limited growth in production due to binding government regulations and environmental challenges in sea-based salmon aquaculture. This is true both for Norway (sea lice, salmon escapes) and Chile (sea lice, disease problems), the two largest producers of salmon. Growing demand and limited expansion in production have made for a very profitable industry. At the same time, there have been technological developments when it comes to land-based farming (a technology used for smolt production and species such as sole and turbot), and cost of production has changed. Currently, land-based salmon farming is in operation or in development in several countries including the USA, Denmark, and Norway. In this paper, the economics of land-based salmon farming in a Norwegian context is presented, with an emphasis on the relative competitiveness of this vis-à-vis sea-based farming. If successful, land-based farming could potentially have an important impact on the dynamics of the salmon market.