Fish

Farmed Salmon Welfare: Crowding, Sea Lice, and Slaughter

Farmed Atlantic salmon are one of the most important farmed fish globally; their welfare problems are severe and largely unaddressed.

Key Facts

Over 2 million tonnes of farmed Atlantic salmon are produced annually
Norway produces 60% of global farmed salmon and has the most developed welfare standards
Sea lice infestations require chemical or mechanical treatment, both causing welfare harms
Salmon farms in Scotland and Norway report mortality rates of 15-20% annually
Cataracts affect up to 60% of farmed salmon, reducing feeding ability and welfare

Welfare Considerations

Farmed salmon suffer from sea lice causing skin and flesh wounds, cataracts from UV exposure causing partial blindness, crowding-induced stress and immune suppression, and slaughter by suffocation on ice. Annual mortality rates of 15-20% represent enormous welfare harm at the scale of billions of individual fish. Norway has begun developing welfare standards but implementation lags behind scientific understanding of salmon needs.

What You Can Do

Reduce farmed Atlantic salmon consumption given documented welfare problems
Choose ASC-certified salmon with lower reported mortality and lice rates
Support Norwegian and Scottish salmon welfare legislation development
Donate to Salmon and Trout Conservation welfare campaigns
Advocate for mandatory mortality reporting as a welfare indicator in salmon aquaculture