For the first time, farmed fish is projected to feed more people globally than fish caught in the wild, according to a report by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), an environmental organization with the mission to plan for a sustainable future.
The EPI report states that getting more food from natural systems, like the ocean or fresh water lakes, may not be possible.
The demand for farmed fish surpassed farmed beef two years ago and is only increasing, according to EPI. Alaska supplies less than 15 percent of the world market, a number that is expected to decline as the market for fish increases with the growing world population. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute says farmed fish is now less of a competitor with Alaska holding its own in the world market.
"The way we view it is that the more people that are comfortable with fish and seafood and are aware of all the positive health attributes of eating seafood, that's only a good thing for us," said Tyson Fick, Communications Director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
Norway and Chile are the two leading producers of farmed salmon and China leads the world for all types of farmed fished.
Editor's Note: Channel 2's Jessica Ridgway contributed to this story.
Contact: Dan Carpenter