Feeding management in aquaculture directly affects fish welfare through nutritional adequacy, competition, and the quality of the feeding experience.
Feed management is a critical welfare determinant in aquaculture because it affects not only nutritional status but also the social experience of feeding. In crowded conditions with inadequate feed presentation, fish compete aggressively for feed, causing injuries, subordinate animals missing out on rations, and elevated cortisol from social stress. Demand feeders that allow fish to control feeding rate reduce competition-related welfare harm while also improving feed conversion efficiency. Nutritional deficiencies including specific vitamin and mineral shortfalls cause welfare-relevant health problems — cataract formation from histidine deficiency in salmon is a well-documented example. Feed quality control throughout the supply chain is therefore a welfare as well as production management issue.