Severe weather events increasingly threaten salmon in sea cages, requiring emergency welfare protocols to minimise injury and mortality during storms.
Sea cage salmon welfare during storm events represents an acute, severe welfare emergency. Structural failure exposes fish to net collapse, extreme crowding and physical injury from debris. Escapes send salmon into unfamiliar environments without natural food sources. Pre-storm preparation including reduced stocking density, cage reinforcement and emergency monitoring significantly reduces welfare harm during severe weather. Submersible cage technology that lowers cages below the worst wave action offers a structural solution to the problem of surface-exposed cages in increasingly stormy conditions.