Olive flounder is South Korea's most important farmed fish species, with intensive production raising welfare questions about stocking density and disease management.
Olive flounder welfare in intensive Korean aquaculture faces challenges from the species benthic biology. Flounder deprived of appropriate substrate cannot adopt their natural resting posture, causing postural stress and abrasion injuries. High stocking densities cause crowding-related immune suppression and disease susceptibility. Antibiotic use in Korean flounder aquaculture has been high, raising both welfare and antimicrobial resistance concerns. Disease outbreaks causing mass mortality represent welfare emergencies at scale. Korean regulatory reforms requiring reduced antibiotic use and improved welfare standards have driven industry change, demonstrating that government action can improve welfare outcomes in major aquaculture sectors.