Rainbow trout are among the most widely farmed salmonid species in Europe with extensive welfare research informing modern production standards.
Rainbow trout welfare is better researched than most farmed fish species, and this research has driven meaningful improvements in UK and European production. RSPCA Assured certification requires specific stocking densities, water quality parameters and humane slaughter. However, global production includes many systems operating far below these standards. Continued investment in trout welfare research has benefits extending to other salmonid species where less baseline data is available.