Aquaculture

Environmental Enrichment for Farmed Fish

Fish in aquaculture can benefit from environmental enrichment that allows expression of natural behaviors and reduces aggression.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon show reduced aggressive behavior in tanks with artificial current features
Trout given substrate and cover objects show lower cortisol and higher feeding efficiency
Environmental complexity in fish tanks reduces fin damage from aggression
Current-based enrichment in salmon tanks increases exercise and improves cardiovascular health

Welfare Considerations

Fish are commonly kept in bare, featureless tanks that provide no behavioral complexity. Research shows that simple enrichment — current generators, substrate, artificial vegetation, and visual barriers — reduces stress, aggression, and injury while improving production efficiency. The welfare and economic cases for enrichment align in aquaculture.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture producers with documented enrichment provision
Advocate for enrichment requirements to be included in aquaculture welfare certification
Choose fish from certified higher-welfare aquaculture systems where available
Support research developing cost-effective enrichment for different aquaculture species