Salmon Welfare at Harvest in Aquaculture

The harvest of farmed Atlantic salmon involves crowding, transfer, and killing processes that are among the most welfare-significant events in the production cycle.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon are crowded into increasingly small volumes before transfer to the wellboat
Crowding causes acute stress, oxygen depletion, and increased disease susceptibility
Transfer to the boat involves high-pressure pumping that causes physical injury
Percussive stunning followed by bleeding is considered the most humane killing method
A significant proportion of salmon in some systems are killed without effective stunning

Welfare Considerations

Harvest is the endpoint of the production cycle and involves acute welfare challenges compounding those experienced throughout the production period. Pre-harvest crowding over several days causes cumulative stress. High-pressure transfer pumps can cause skin damage, fin loss, and haemorrhage. Effective stunning before bleeding is achievable but not universally practised. The welfare of billions of salmon at harvest is substantially below what best practice demonstrates is achievable, and certification schemes are beginning to require improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon certified to RSPCA Assured or equivalent welfare standards at harvest
Support the Aquatic Life Institutes campaign for effective stunning requirements
Ask retailers about pre-slaughter stunning policies in their salmon supply chains
Reduce farmed salmon consumption pending wider welfare standard adoption
Advocate for mandatory welfare monitoring at all salmon harvest and slaughter operations