Trout: Rainbow, Farmed

Coastal rainbow trout, Kamloops trout, Redband trout, Columbia River redband trout, Eagle Lake trout, Kern River trout, Shasta trout, Kamchatkan trout, Rainbow trout (FDA approved), Steelhead trout (FDA approved)

N/A

Rainbow trout/Steelhead can be farmed in fresh– or seawater once they have reached their natural “sea-ready” size. Rainbow trout traditionally feed on a variety of aquatic and terrestrial organisms such as insects and small fish.

Most farmed Rainbow Trout in the Canadian market comes from the US, where closed containment aquaculture systems are widely used. Product sourced in Canada can come from both closed containment systems and open net sources primarily from the Great Lakes. It is important to note that product sourced from closed containment aquaculture (green) has fewer habitat impacts than product grown in open net cages (yellow).

The diet of farmed rainbow trout contains fishmeal and fish oil that is sourced from wild fisheries. Improvements in feed conversion may come with a trade-off for higher levels of fish oil in feeds, and result in increased dependence on wild fisheries for feed ingredients.

Escapes of commercially-raised fish are not common, however there is potential for impacts if escapes were to increase.

Flow-through aquaculture systems carry some inherent risk of spreading disease and parasites to wild fish. There is evidence that trout culture activities have been responsible for the spread of diseases and parasites, and there is additional evidence that untreated fish farm effluents can carry pathogens into the wild.

There do not appear to be significant habitat effects as a result of land-based trout farming, and the industry is not considered to use high amounts of water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires discharge permits for discharge into US waters and the US trout farming industry seems to be abiding to all state and federally mandated regulations.

Where is this trout farmed?

Contaminant levels do not warrant a consumption advisory.

No.