The method by which farmed salmon are slaughtered has a major impact on both welfare and product quality, driving significant industry investment in humane slaughter technology.
Salmon slaughter without pre-stunning involves consciousness throughout the kill process, during which fish experience acute stress responses. The transition from CO2 stunning — where fish enter a period of heightened nociceptor activity as CO2 dissolves in water — to percussion or electrical stunning represents a major welfare advance. Quality benefits reinforce the welfare case: stress-free slaughter reduces lactic acid in muscle, improves fillet texture, and extends shelf life. The food industry has thus aligned economic and welfare incentives in a way that is accelerating adoption of humane slaughter methods.