Aquafarming
Meeting Global Seafood Demands
Natural fish populations continue to shrink due to overfishing and other environmental concerns. At the same time, the demand for seafood has grown twice as fast as the world’s population since 1961. Aquaculture, or aquafarming, has become a way to meet this growing demand. Today, almost half of all fish eaten globally comes from fish farms. Aquaculture is growing three times faster than farming on land and is expanding quickly as wild fish numbers keep falling.
What is Aquafarming?
Aquafarming, also known as aquaculture, is the farming of water animals and plants like fish, shellfish, and seaweed in controlled or semi-controlled environments. It can take place in both freshwater and saltwater. Farmed species can be raised in tanks on land (called pond cultures), or in fenced areas in the sea (called cage cultures), in calm shallow waters or sometimes out in the open ocean.
Aquaculture is heavily dominated by just a handful of species, particularly carp, shrimp, salmon and tilapia. They grow quickly, are relatively cheap to raise, and are in high demand. However - there are environmental and welfare concerns tied to each species:
Carp farming releases nutrient pollution into rivers and lakes, fueling algal blooms and suffocating ecosystems. When they escape, these invasive fish outcompete native species and permanently disrupt aquatic biodiversity.
Shrimp aquaculture has destroyed vast areas of mangroves, erasing natural coastal defenses and nurseries for marine life. Overuse of antibiotics fuels resistant bacteria, while abandoned shrimp ponds often become toxic wastelands.
Salmon farms spread parasites and diseases into wild populations, pushing endangered salmon closer to collapse. The industry also dumps enormous amounts of waste and relies on wild-caught fish for feed, draining the very oceans it claims to protect.
Tilapia are marketed as a sustainable protein, but their production relies heavily on soy and corn linked to deforestation. When they escape, they interbreed with wild populations, wiping out native genetic diversity.
Aquafarming: A Hidden Threat to Our Oceans
The list of potential threats to our oceans is long. Large escapes from fish farms can upset the natural balance by changing food chains. Overcrowded fish cages and rising ocean temperatures will lead to even more fish deaths and diseases. On top of that, offshore cages can get in the way of whale and dolphin migration routes and harm sensitive marine areas, especially when gear or equipment is lost and ends up entangling sea animals.
Another concern comes from the waste produced in fish farms, such as uneaten feed, fish feces, and antibiotics. This waste harms the seafloor, causes harmful algal blooms, and reduces biodiversity. Even land based fish farming can end up harming the environment when toxic water runs off into nearby areas, or if natural habitats are destroyed to build the farm.
Feeding Fish to Fish
Many of the most profitable farmed species such as salmon and shrimp, are carnivores, meaning they don’t eat plants, they eat other fish. To make them grow, billions of wild fish are caught from the oceans, ground into fishmeal and fish oil, and fed back into aquaculture pens. This creates a brutal paradox: instead of reducing pressure on the oceans, fish farming actually intensifies overfishing. Today, aquaculture consumes about 70% of the world’s fishmeal and 73% of its fish oil, stripping small pelagic fish like anchovies, sardines, and mackerel - species that are vital food for seabirds, marine mammals, and coastal communities. In short, aquafarming isn’t closing the gap in seafood supply — it’s widening the ecological debt our oceans are forced to pay.
Empty Promise of Jobs and Stability
Aquafarming companies often claim they create thousands of jobs, but the reality is far less secure. Many farms are now moving operations into developing countries where laws are weaker and oversight is minimal, making it easier to cut corners and harder to protect local people and ecosystems. Far from solving hunger, most farmed species are luxury products like salmon and shrimp, exported to wealthy markets, while local communities lose access to their traditional fishing grounds. To make matters worse, cheap wild fish are ground into feed for these farms — stripping food directly from the plates of people who depend on it. Instead of bringing stability, aquafarming often deepens inequality, damages livelihoods, and puts both jobs and national seafood exports at long-term risk.
Aquafarming in Namibia
Atlantic salmon farming is coming to Lüderitz, Namibia, as Africa’s first large-scale aquaculture operation (find out about the Environmental Impact Assessment).
The Benguela Current offers ideal conditions - cold water, no sea lice, and no wild salmon - suggesting minimal environmental risk. The African Aquaculture Company (AAC), backed by a Norwegian parent firm, aims to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of salmon annually across three sites northwest of Lüderitz, following a pilot phase. Promising job creation, skills transfer, and economic development, AAC positions the project as a boon for Namibia and the Lüderitz community.
Local environmental organisations including Ocean Conservation Namibia are voicing their concerns based on similar global projects that often led to environmental harm and unmet economic promises. AAC projects 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, possibly growing to 15,000–20,000 as the project expands. Yet, similar to other such projects worldwide, the nature and sustainability of these jobs remain unclear. Many could be short-term or contract-based. Companies often promise too many jobs to get government support, but if it’s not in the contract, there’s no punishment if the jobs don’t happen. With Lüderitz's population just over 16,000, the town lacks the infrastructure to accommodate rapid growth, raising questions about long-term community impact and preparedness.
Salmon farming is promoted as a way to diversify Namibia’s economy, with promises of job creation and growth in aquaculture. It’s clear to see why the project has received support from the government. However, it comes with significant environmental and socio-economic risks, while companies are rarely held accountable after ecological damage. These include the accumulation of fish waste, potential mass escapes, and the use of antibiotics in open waters. While the Benguela Current has no sea lice, disease outbreaks remain a risk when salmon are crowded into pens, posing a threat to local fish populations and Namibia’s fishing industry, which supports around 18,100 jobs.
AAC also claims the project will help combat food insecurity by supplying the local market. Yet, the company admits that local demand is limited and focuses instead on exports to Europe. Salmon is a luxury fish and remains inaccessible for most Namibians, 55% of whom are unemployed, with more than half of the labourforce earning less than N$5000 per month.
While the EIA emphasizes monitoring and mitigation, it acknowledges Namibia’s limited capacity in testing, standards, and enforcement - raising serious concerns about the ability to manage the long-term impacts of this large-scale operation. Companies often launch such projects in developing countries, where weak regulations and limited safeguards make it easier to advance plans that would face strong opposition elsewhere.
Additional risks of salmon farming include extreme weather events like El Niño, strong winds causing rough seas near Lüderitz, oil pollution affecting seabirds, and harmful algal blooms (HABs). Increased boat traffic and aquaculture infrastructure such as nets and ropes pose entanglement risks to seals, whales, dolphins, and seabirds, threatening both marine life and the coastal tourism industry that depends on it.
Globally, similar projects have had detrimental effects. Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province banned open-cage salmon farming due to pollution and disease risks. In Tasmania, the industry has faced criticism for environmental degradation, poor animal welfare, and mass fish deaths from overcrowding and oxygen depletion.
While economic growth is vital for Namibia, it must not undermine future sustainability. The environmental risks tied to salmon farming are significant, and its long-term social impact remains unclear. Key sectors like fisheries and tourism already support the economy and those livelihoods may be placed at risk.
Despite international warnings and local concern, the pilot phase is moving forward. With Namibia’s limited track record in monitoring and enforcement, real safeguards remain weak. Responsible development requires more than promises. It demands transparency, accountability, and a firm commitment to protecting ecosystems and communities.
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