Myths vs Facts

Get the facts behind the myths of aquaculture.

Environment & Sustainability
Quality & Safety
Space & Visual Impact
Economics & Community
The Truth About Salmon

Myth: Aquaculture pollutes the ocean.

Fact: New Zealand aquaculture is highly regulated, with strict environmental standards and monitoring to minimise pollution.

Myth: Aquaculture is not sustainable.

Fact: New Zealand is a world leader in sustainable aquaculture. Our farmed salmon, mussels, and oysters have all been awarded a ‘Best Choice’ sustainability rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

Myth: Aquaculture damages marine ecosystems.

Fact: Farms are carefully located and monitored to avoid sensitive areas and minimise environmental impact. Mussel farms give direct benefits to marine life by filtering the water and by providing habitats and food.

Myth: Farmed fish are full of antibiotics and chemicals.

Fact: New Zealand aquaculture uses minimal antibiotics; many farms operate antibiotic-free.

Myth: Farmed fish contain high levels of microplastics.

Fact: Evidence indicates that levels of plastic particles in seafoods are consistent with those of other foods and beverages.
Read the full article here.

Reference: Henry, T. B., Bucknall, D. G., Catarino, A. I., Gillanders, B. M., Haave, M., Kaminski, N. E., Völker, C., & Wootton, N. (2025). Examining misconceptions about plastic-particle exposure from ingestion of seafood and risk to human health. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 12(11), 1453-1461. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.5c00551

Myth: Farmed fish are lower quality than wild fish.

Fact: New Zealand farmed fish, like King salmon, are internationally recognised for their premium taste and quality.

Myth: Aquaculture takes up lots of space in the marine environment.

Fact: Aquaculture farms have a very small footprint. Less than 0.1 percent of New Zealand's coastal waters are used for aquaculture.

Myth: Aquaculture creates visual pollution.

Fact: Visual impacts, and the views of local communities, are considered when selecting aquaculture sites.

Myth: Aquaculture only benefits big companies.

Fact: Many small and iwi-owned operators thrive in New Zealand aquaculture, contributing to local economies.

Myth: Aquaculture uses lots of wild fish as feed.

Fact: Feed sustainability is improving, with alternatives like algae, insect meal, and plant-based ingredients.

Myth: Salmon farms are crowded.

Fact: A fully stocked pen contains only 2% fish - the other 98% is water.

Myth: Multiple species of Salmon are farmed in New Zealand.

Fact: Here in New Zealand, we only farm King salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), while most of the world farms the common Atlantic salmon species (Salmo salar). Our ultra-premium salmon makes up less than 1% of the total global farmed salmon and we’re proud of our worldwide reputation for producing quality - our salmon are very special!

Myth: Salmon farming is a risk to native salmon species.

Fact: The only salmon we farm, King salmon, was introduced to New Zealand from California as a game fish in the late 19th century.  Therefore, there is no risk to native wild salmon populations as we have none here. However, we still carefully manage our salmon farms to avoid escapes.

Myth: New Zealand salmon are affected by sea lice.

Fact: We do not have a salmon lice problem in New Zealand. The salmon lice which has impacted farmed salmon overseas, does not affect our New Zealand farmed King salmon, as they are naturally resistant to this parasite.

Myth: Salmon does not hold any health benefits when consumed.

Fact: Salmon is a superfood and our King salmon has the highest oil content of all salmon species, so it is an excellent source of high-quality protein and nutritious long chain omega-3s (specifically DHA and EPA), vitamins A, B6, B12 and D, niacin, thiamine, selenium, and iodine.

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