Aquaculture

Environmental Enrichment for Farmed Fish

Environmental enrichment for farmed fish improves welfare by enabling expression of natural behaviours and reducing stress.

Key Facts

Farmed salmon and trout prefer structured environments with cover and flow variation
Enrichment reduces fin damage and aggression in farmed salmonids
Current production systems are typically barren and uniform
Light, substrate, and current enrichment can be implemented at scale
Welfare benefits of enrichment translate to commercial benefits through reduced injury

Welfare Considerations

Fish in barren aquaculture environments are deprived of the complexity they would experience in natural habitats. Enrichment research demonstrates that providing structural complexity, varied light, and opportunities for current use reduces stress, aggression, and injury. Implementing enrichment does not necessarily compromise productivity and represents an important opportunity to improve fish welfare.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture welfare standards that include enrichment requirements
Choose fish products from certified welfare-positive farms
Advocate for enrichment research funding in aquaculture welfare
Raise awareness about fish behavioural needs in production systems
Support development of practical enrichment guidelines for aquaculture