Wild salmon face welfare challenges across their lifecycle from habitat degradation, climate change, parasites, and capture methods in commercial and recreational fisheries.
Wild salmon welfare spans both individual fish welfare in capture contexts and population-level welfare through habitat and climate. Capture by hook and line causes acute stress and physical injury; the welfare of released fish depends heavily on handling technique, water temperature, and fight duration. Commercial fishing methods including gillnets and purse seines cause different but also significant welfare harms. Habitat restoration addressing salmon migration and breeding conditions improves population welfare at scale.