Wrasse and lumpfish used as biological lice control in salmon farming are themselves aquaculture species with under-addressed welfare needs.
Cleaner fish used in salmon farming face welfare harms including capture stress, inappropriate housing in salmon cages, predation from salmon, and high mortality rates. Wrasse wild capture reduces wild populations of these ecologically important reef fish. The welfare of cleaner fish is rarely considered in assessments that focus entirely on salmon. Better standards for both species are needed.