Canadian Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are cold water fish weighting 2–3 kilograms (4.4–6.6 lb) in the wild.
[2] Today, the cod are grown in onshore, temperature-controlled, seawater tanks as eggs and eventually taken to sea cages when sufficiently mature.
The female fish are bred in onshore tank facilities and can produce 450,000 eggs per kilogram of body weight.
[3] In these sea cages the cod continue to grow, reaching market weight (3–5 kilograms (6.6–11.0 lb)) in around 24 to 36 months.
In onshore facilities, there are a number of storage tanks that are key to the early development of cod and many other cold water fish.
After being transported to the ocean via private company or government ships, the fish are gently poured into a sea cage.
The pellets fed to Atlantic cod are mostly grain based, which are made of fish oil, bone meal, vitamins and minerals.
[3] Once market size is reached, Atlantic cod fish offer a bounty of nutrients including a surplus amount of complete proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, iron and B vitamins.
[3] After the near extinction of natural Atlantic cod in the wild, strict laws were made to prevent fishing of any sort.
These fish are prohibited from antibiotics, herbicides, GMOs, parasiticides and practices that minimize negative effects on the environment.