Aquaculture

Aquaculture Disease Management

Disease outbreaks in fish farms cause mass mortality and significant suffering, and management approaches vary enormously in their welfare implications.

Key Facts

Infectious salmon anaemia and pancreas disease cause millions of fish deaths annually
Overcrowding is the primary risk factor for most aquaculture disease outbreaks
Vaccination has reduced antibiotic use in Norwegian salmon farming by 99% since the 1980s
Disease screening and fallowing periods reduce outbreak frequency substantially

Welfare Considerations

Disease causes prolonged suffering in fish: ulceration, haemorrhage, organ failure and difficulty breathing. Mass mortality events affect tens of thousands of fish in single outbreaks. Treatment methods including bath chemotherapy impose additional stress. Prevention through reduced stocking density, vaccination and improved biosecurity is the most humane approach.

What You Can Do

Support research into fish disease prevention over chemical treatment
Choose salmon and trout from producers with published health and vaccination protocols
Advocate for stocking density limits based on fish welfare evidence
Support development of fish welfare certification standards