Norway produces large volumes of rainbow trout in sea cages alongside salmon. Trout-specific welfare requirements differ from salmon and require tailored management.
Rainbow trout welfare in sea cage culture faces specific challenges related to their physiological sensitivity. Being less euryhaline than Atlantic salmon, trout in sea cages can suffer osmoregulatory stress if salinity or temperature are suboptimal. Rapid temperature changes during seasons of weather variability cause welfare-compromising stress. Sea lice management using similar approaches to salmon is generally effective. Norwegian aquaculture regulations covering trout increasingly align with those for salmon, providing a regulatory framework for welfare improvement.