Aquaculture

Aquaculture Mortality: Welfare and Industry Response

High mortality rates in aquaculture represent both welfare failures and economic incentives for improvement that the industry is beginning to address.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon farming has average mortality rates of 15-20% before harvest in standard systems
Sea lice, gill disease, and handling injuries are leading mortality causes
Norwegian authorities now publish mandatory farm-level mortality data as a welfare monitoring tool
Low-mortality farms show that rates under 5% are achievable with better husbandry

Welfare Considerations

High mortality rates indicate that large numbers of fish are suffering from disease, injury, or poor conditions before death. The survivors of high-mortality events may also carry sublethal welfare costs. Mandatory mortality monitoring and public reporting creates accountability and allows comparison between systems, driving improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon from certified schemes with documented mortality targets and monitoring
Support mandatory mortality reporting requirements in aquaculture regulations
Advocate for mortality rate benchmarks to be included in higher-welfare certification schemes
Ask salmon retailers about mortality rate data from their supplying farms