Fish

Sea Lice in Salmon Farming: A Welfare Emergency at Scale

Sea lice infestations in salmon farms cause severe suffering to billions of fish and spread to wild salmon populations.

Key Facts

Sea lice are small parasitic crustaceans that attach to and feed on salmon flesh
Up to 33% of farmed salmon show severe lice infestation in poorly managed farms
Lice consume skin and muscle tissue, exposing bone around the head in extreme cases
Treatment chemicals including emamectin benzoate are becoming resistant
Sea lice from farms spread to wild salmon at critical migratory bottlenecks

Welfare Considerations

Sea lice cause open wounds that expose underlying tissue, nerve damage, and immune system suppression. Salmon with severe infestations show severe behavioral abnormalities including flashing, scratching, and reduced feeding. Treatment chemicals cause their own welfare problems including neurological effects. The scale of sea lice suffering across global salmon farming operations represents one of the largest sources of preventable fish suffering.

What You Can Do

Reduce farmed Atlantic salmon consumption
Choose land-based or closed-containment salmon if you consume farmed salmon
Support ASC certification standards that include sea lice thresholds
Advocate for mandatory sea lice monitoring and public reporting in your country
Donate to Salmon and Trout Conservation and wild salmon welfare organizations