Aquaculture

Sea Lice Management and Salmon Welfare

Sea lice are a persistent welfare challenge in Atlantic salmon farming, causing skin damage and systemic stress.

Key Facts

Sea lice cause lesions, haemorrhaging, and systemic osmotic stress in salmon
Resistance to chemical treatments is an increasing problem in salmon farming
Mechanical removal using hydrolicer and thermolicer technology causes acute stress
Cleaner fish including wrasse and lumpfish are used as biological control agents
Lice thresholds for treatment trigger welfare and production costs

Welfare Considerations

Sea lice management is a major welfare issue in salmon aquaculture. Untreated infestations cause serious physical damage and chronic stress. However, treatment interventions including bath treatments and mechanical removal also cause acute welfare harm. A welfare-first approach to lice management seeks to prevent infestations through biological control and management practices while minimising the harm of necessary treatments.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture certification that requires sea lice monitoring and thresholds
Choose salmon from farms demonstrating responsible lice management
Advocate for welfare assessment of lice treatment methods
Support research into less invasive lice management technologies
Raise awareness about sea lice as a central welfare issue in salmon farming