Atlantic salmon is one of the most intensively farmed fish globally, with significant welfare challenges including sea lice infestation, crowding stress, and slaughter practices that vary widely in humaneness.
Farmed salmon are sophisticated vertebrates with complex behavioral repertoires. Chronic crowding, persistent parasite pressure from sea lice, and poor water quality create ongoing welfare costs throughout the production cycle. Slaughter practices vary from relatively humane (electrical stunning followed by gill cut) to extremely stressful (crowding, asphyxiation, or live chilling without prior stunning). Consumer pressure and retailer welfare commitments are driving improvements, but baseline standards remain low in many producing countries. Welfare improvements need to be embedded in certification standards with robust auditing.