Selective Breeding in Aquaculture and Welfare

Selective breeding programmes in aquaculture, as in terrestrial livestock farming, can prioritise welfare and health traits alongside production; Norwegian salmon breeding provides a positive example.

Key Facts

Norwegian Atlantic salmon breeding programmes have significantly reduced disease susceptibility over 12 generations
Selection for calm temperament reduces stress responses and aggression in farmed salmon
Skeletal deformity rates have been reduced through selective breeding in salmon
Welfare traits including wound healing capacity and sea lice resistance are now included in some breeding indices

Welfare Considerations

Aquaculture selective breeding offers the opportunity to improve welfare by selecting for health, stress resilience, and disease resistance alongside production performance. The Norwegian salmon breeding programme demonstrates what is achievable over multiple generations — dramatic reductions in disease susceptibility that simultaneously reduce antibiotic use and improve fish welfare. Incorporating welfare trait selection into aquaculture breeding is a long-term investment with compounding returns for fish health and welfare.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture producers using welfare-trait-inclusive breeding programmes
Advocate for welfare trait inclusion in aquaculture breeding programme requirements
Raise awareness that aquaculture genetics choices have welfare implications parallel to terrestrial livestock breeding