Aquaculture

Lumpsucker Welfare as Cleaner Fish in Salmon Farms

Lumpsuckers are deployed as cleaner fish in Atlantic salmon sea cages but face severe welfare challenges including cold stress, disease, and injuries from salmon.

Key Facts

Lumpsuckers naturally inhabit cold North Atlantic waters and have some cold tolerance
UK and Norwegian farms deploy millions of lumpsuckers annually
Lumpsuckers lose their sea lice cleaning function quickly and have short productive lifespans
Mortality rates in salmon cages often exceed 70 percent per deployment
Welfare standards specifically for lumpsuckers as cleaner fish are absent from most certification schemes

Welfare Considerations

Lumpsuckers deployed in salmon cages experience crowding, predation attempts by salmon, low oxygen in summer, and loss of substrate for their naturally sedentary behaviour. Mortality is extreme and the welfare cost is substantial. The justification for their use rests on reduced chemical treatment of salmon, creating a direct tension between salmon and lumpsucker welfare.

What You Can Do

Support research into alternatives to cleaner fish for sea lice control
Donate to fish welfare research covering cleaner fish welfare
Advocate for lumpsucker welfare inclusion in salmon certification standards
Choose salmon from farms with transparent cleaner fish welfare reporting