Globally, interest in aquaculture and the benefits it brings, is continually increasing. The US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently published a report examining the economic potential and prospect for success of offshore aquaculture in the US.

The report, titled Offshore Aquaculture in the United States: Economic Considerations, Implications & Opportunities, was developed by leading fisheries and resource economists and business experts. The report examined the following in the context of the US:

• Trends and factors shaping aquaculture today;
• Forces that will drive it in the future;
• Inputs and outputs necessary to sustain its growth;
• Economic consequences of offshore aquaculture development in the United States; and
• Benefits and costs of such a domestic industry to the nation.

Additional information on the report can be found on the NOAA website at this link.

Marine Harvest web published a salmon farming industry handbook dated March 2008.

Marine Harvest states that the document has been produced to give financial analysts, investors and others an insight into the salmon farming industry and Marine Harvest’s view of the most important value drivers.

In overview the document covers:

• global overview on salmon
• salmon biology
• salmon farming
• key inputs
• key global geographies
• processing
• supply and demand
• comparisons with other protein sources
• research and development