Atlantic halibut aquaculture faces unique welfare challenges given the species complex reproductive biology, slow growth rate, and sensitivity to handling stress.
Atlantic halibut welfare challenges in aquaculture include skeletal deformities during early development, which affect a significant proportion of juveniles in intensive systems and cause chronic impairment. Light pollution and inappropriate light regimes disrupt photoperiod-dependent physiology. Halibut are ambush predators with strong anti-predator stress responses that are triggered by routine husbandry handling, causing acute cortisol elevation and risk of post-handling mortality. Sedation protocols during handling and transport are welfare-positive interventions increasingly adopted by responsible producers. The long lifespan of halibut means any chronic welfare compromise extends over an extended period.