Wild salmon welfare encompasses the experiences of individual fish throughout their life cycle, from river hatching through oceanic migration to spawning and death.
Individual wild salmon face welfare challenges throughout their life cycle that are distinct from those affecting farmed fish. Spawning salmon that are injured, diseased, or blocked from reaching their redds experience significant individual suffering. Climate warming that increases river temperatures creates heat stress and disease conditions that impair welfare during the most energy-demanding phase of salmon life. Protecting wild salmon welfare requires ecosystem-level management.