Atlantic salmon farming is the highest-value aquaculture sector in many countries, and welfare standards have advanced significantly but still face challenges at scale.
Atlantic salmon welfare science has advanced further than for any other farmed fish species, driven by commercial incentives where stress reduces flesh quality and immune function. Welfare indicators including fin damage, skin condition, swimming behaviour, and mortality are monitored routinely on Norwegian farms. Key welfare challenges include sea lice burdens that cause chronic skin damage, high stocking densities that suppress immune function, and slaughter methods that vary in humaneness across farms. The regulatory and certification landscape for salmon welfare is more developed than for any other aquaculture species, providing a model for extending welfare standards to less scrutinised species.