Many locals in British Columbia's Broughton Archipelago welcomed the salmon-farming industry in the early 1980s. It promised jobs, more schools, and higher incomes. It was not until some regular pods of killer whales stopped returning - and later, when some wild salmon populations became diseased - that the locals became concerned.

In Alaska, coastal ecosystems were protected from these impacts by a statewide ban on finfish farming in 1989. However, when the price of their commercial salmon catch plummeted in the mid-1990s, Alaskans became worried. Throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, people now see the close connection between salmon farming, the environment, and international markets. As the global aquaculture industry continues to expand, what impacts will it have on local ecosystems and fishing economies?