Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Welfare Certification and Standards

Welfare certification for farmed salmon is evolving but remains inconsistent across schemes.

Key Facts

ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) is the most recognised salmon certification
RSPCA Assured has specific salmon welfare standards including stocking density requirements
GlobalGAP and other schemes have varying welfare components
Consumer demand for certified welfare is growing but certified salmon represents a minority of market

Welfare Considerations

Certification provides a mechanism to reward producers investing in welfare and to create market incentives for improvement. However, welfare standards in salmon certification vary enormously — some focus primarily on environmental sustainability with minimal welfare requirements, while others set genuine welfare standards. Consumer education about what different certifications mean drives demand toward genuinely better welfare.

What You Can Do

Choose RSPCA Assured salmon where available as the UK higher welfare standard
Ask retailers about the welfare requirements of their salmon certification
Support campaigns to strengthen welfare requirements in aquaculture certification
Donate to research that informs evidence-based welfare standards for salmon