Fishing costs vary depending on the boat, the species and the season. Fishing could be cheaper and compete better with salmon farming, said James Anderson, an economist and editor of Seafood Market Analyst, an international publication. As it is, Alaska fishermen and processors gamble each year with forces beyond their control, while farmers can modify even the food their salmon eat to save money. The cost of raising fish fell 30 percent in the last 10 years and continues to decline, said Joe McGonigle, head of the Maine Salmon Farmers Association. The biggest expense for fish farmers, which has no parallel for fishermen, is the grocery bill for the ravenous fish.
Penned salmon eat oily brown pellets that smell like pet food.
Wash. Labor accounts for another 30 percent of the cost in Anacortes, compared to 37 percent for Southeast Alaska salmon fishermen. In Chile, farmers spend 60 percent of their money on fish food because labor is so cheap. The high cost of food has driven fish farmers to find more efficient ways to feed fish, including using underwater cameras to avoid overfeeding. Breeding programs also favor salmon that grow faster with less food. The goal is always to reduce the amount of food needed to grow a pound of fish.