Atlantic cod aquaculture in Norway experienced a major expansion and subsequent collapse, and current research is focused on welfare challenges that contributed to poor production outcomes.
Welfare concerns identified in Norwegian cod aquaculture include high mortality from crowding at the surface causing hypoxia, injuries from netting collisions, extreme sensitivity to handling stress, vulnerability to sea lice and amoebic gill disease, and welfare impacts of photomanipulation used to suppress early maturation. Current research aims to identify welfare-compatible production protocols.