Carbon Footprint Calculations of Processing in Aquaculture: A case study of Turkish Salmon from Sinop Province in Türkiye[M1]

The rapid increase in the world population and human needs lead into the gradual depletion of existing resources and increased food production. Today, intensive farming systems, which allow for greater production per unit area, have become widespread. As a result, many environmental problems such as climate change and global warming have arisen. The effects of climate change are increasingly noticable, and as a result, the environmental sustainability of food systems has become a critical priority. Aquaculture is an important food source worldwide. However, aquaculture production processes can cause various environmental impacts. This study was conducted to determine the carbon footprint of Turkish salmon processed at the aquaculture processing facility located in the Sinop Organized Industrial Zone during its journey from sea to table. The study calculated the CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels consumed during the transportation of the fish from farms located in the Black Sea to land and the processing facility. Furthermore, the fish arriving at the facility: CO₂ emissions from electricity were calculated as a result of tank tilting, buffer tank, laser head cutting, conveyor belt, hand slaughter line, grading, fish gutting, air compressor, waste disposal, treatment, ventilation, glazing, forklift charging, hydrophore, ice machine, refrigeration machine, and combi boiler use. In addition to greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (fossil fuel/diesel) and processing (electricity), CO₂ emissions from ice and water used in fish transportation and in the facility were also included in the calculations. As a result of the study, a total of 0.761 kg CO₂ emissions were found for one kg of salmon.