Salmon Farming: Inside & Out

In this episode, Neil Anthony Sims, CEO of Ocean Era, discusses the significant challenges and potential of offshore aquaculture in the United States. Sims talks about how the U.S. is not a huge player in aquaculture compared to other countries because of its rigorous permitting process and opposition from activist groups. He hopes the U.S. will start to scale offshore aquaculture and build an ind...

Tom Taylor works with the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA) as its executive director. In this episode, he talks about Atlantic Canada’s farming practices and the support from Atlantic Canadians as seen in a recent survey. He also talks about the government’s net-pen ban in B.C. and the impact this would have on investments in the industry.

Live at the Canadian Freshwater Aquaculture Conference, Ian Roberts sits down with second-generation trout farmer, RJ Taylor. He talks about the hidden story of trout farming in Ontario and shares about his work as managing director of the Ontario Aquaculture Association to advocate for the importance of aquaculture in the province and across the country.

This episode delves into the sustainability, ingredients, and challenges of fish feed, emphasizing the importance of transparency and innovation. David Seeley, commercial director of Skretting North America - East, highlights that fish feed is a balanced blend of proteins, minerals, and vitamins, and that salmon farming contributes more fish to the world than it consumes.

Host Ian Roberts learns more about Vox Media's coverage about aquaculture with journalist Kenny Torella. His work focuses on animal welfare in the meat industry, and he shares specifically about how he delves into the environmental and animal welfare issues in salmon farming. Ian raises concerns about the potential bias in Vox's reporting due to funding from animal welfare groups, which Torella de...

Kicking off Season 4 by exploring one of the most unconventional frontiers in aquaculture: growing fish on large cargo ships in international waters. Long-time salmon farming expert and consultant, Alan Cook, talks about the Marinova project with Pan Ocean Aquaculture. He offers a clear, practical look at whether ship-based aquaculture could supplement existing salmon production and help meet risi...

Young professionals representing the salmon industry around the world share their thoughts on the lessons learned from this season's  Salmon Farming: Inside & Out podcast. Host Ian Roberts was joined by Janicke Eckhoff from the Marine Stewardship Council in Norway, Michelle Franze from the B.C. Salmon Farmer's Association in Canada, and Andrew Richardson from the Young Aquaculture Society...

Dr. Ken S. Coates is one of Canada's leading historians and analysts on the challenges and opportunities facing the country. After his keynote at Cold Harvest 2025 in St. John's, N.L., Ken sits down with host Ian Roberts to talk about how B.C.'s salmon farming industry could benefit Canada by providing economic stability to coastal communities. His thoughts are based on his recently published Macd...

Ian Roberts travelled to St. John's, Newfoundland and met with Canadian aquaculturists at the Cold Harvest Conference & Trade Fair (Sept. 23-25). He sat down with Keith Sullivan, executive director of Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association; Joel Richardson, vice-president of public relations at Cooke Aquaculture; Aaron Bennet, development and compliance director at Mowi Can...

Rochak Sharma, chief product officer at TidalX AI, explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing salmon net pen farming. Discover how advanced camera systems and machine learning are improving fish health, optimizing feeding, and tackling sea lice.

Corey Peet has extensive international experience working on seafood sustainability. He started his career working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the David Suzuki Foundation, raising concerns about aquaculture. In this episode, he emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to aquaculture, advocating for solutions rather than outright opposition.

The sea lice debate has been a long-standing and controversial topic surrounding salmon farming in British Columbia. In this episode, host Ian Roberts and biologist Lance Stewardson discuss the latest sea lice monitoring results along the B.C. coast: Has the closure of salmon farms in two distinct regions affected the levels of sea lice on juvenile wild salmon?

Former fish farmer, turned author John Goodlad has a launched a new book, "Food from the Sea: The future of seafood." The book takes the reader around the world, telling stories about the last of the ocean hunters and the first of the ocean farmers. John shares about his early career in fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood, and how it inspired him to write down the untold history of those who work...

Petter M. Johannessen has been head of the IFFO The Marine Ingredients Organisation since 2018. IFFO is an international trade organisation that represents the marine ingredients industry, such as fishmeal and fish oil. With 91% of fish meal and 64% of fish oil are used in aquaculture, he shares how the organisation is supporting sustainable and responsible sourcing. 

Sophie Ryan, CEO of Global Salmon Initiative, shares how the organisation's mission for transparent data reporting opens dialogue for the salmon farming industry's sustainability practices.

Christopher Lloyd is the secretary general of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) based in the United Kingdom. In this episode, he discusses the organization's role in promoting best practices across various livestock sectors, including salmon farming.

Dag Sletmo is the senior vice-president and client advisor for DNB Bank - Seafood. In this episode, host Ian Roberts discusses the evolving landscape of salmon farming. They explore the bank's role in financing salmon farming projects, emphasizing the importance of profitability, manageable risk, and sustainability. 

Robert (Bob) DeHaan is the executive vice-president and general counsel of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the USA’s largest commercial seafood trade organization. In that capacity, he leads NFI regulatory and international trade advocacy. Prior to joining NFI, DeHaan held multiple trade and transportation roles in the administration of President George W. Bush. He began his professional c...

Vivian Krause has done extensive research on the funding of various causes within the charitable sector, including the funding of environmental activism. She explains how three key studies were misused to create public fear and shift consumer demand away from farm-raised salmon. She emphasizes the need for the salmon farming industry to improve its PR and calls for a code of ethics for environment...

Árni Matthias Mathiesen is a board member of the Icelandic Aquaculture & Ocean Forum (IAOF), a non-profit Iceland aquaculture industry association based in Reykjavík. He brings a wealth of experience in Icelandic aquaculture, which also includes his experience as Assistant Director General at UN's Food and Agriculture Organization as Head of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (2010-2020)...

Jennifer Woodland serves as chair at B.C. Salmon Farmers' Association. She shares an unedited update of what the B.C. salmon aquaculture looks like as it continues to navigate the uncertainties of the Canadian government's transition plan to ban ocean net pens. 

Christian Kramer, the CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, provides an overview of the organization, which is funded by a levy on Norwegian seafood exports and works to promote the country's seafood globally. He talks about the importance of salmon farming to Norway's economy and coastal communities, as well as the industry's efforts to address public perception and sustainability challenges.

Craig Medred is an award-winning Alaskan journalist who shares his insights in how conversations around salmon ranching and farming have evolved in Alaska over the years. 

Adolfo Alvial is the executive director of Club Innovación Acuicola - Chile. He has a long career in the private, public, and academic sectors of the salmon farming industry in Chile. He provides a short history of how the sector grew and offers insight into what British Columbia can learn from Chile's experience. 

Dr. Debbie Plouffe, vice president of business development at the Centre for Aquaculture Technologies, discussed the potential of genome editing in aquaculture, including improved disease management and productivity.