Scandinavian salmon farming linked to ecological crises in the Baltic

Scandinavian demand for farmed salmon, particularly from Norway, is imperilling the Baltic herring, crucial for both local ecosystems and the traditional Swedish dish, surströmming. Industrial trawlers, aiming to supply fish feed for salmon farms, are depleting herring populations, threatening biodiversity and the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. Despite the critical ecological role of herring, its stocks have plummeted by 90% since the 1960s. Current regulatory measures and industrial practices are inadequate, putting immense pressure on the Baltic Sea's fragile marine life and the communities dependent on it. (Bloomberg News)