Aquatic Animals

Land-Based Salmon Farming: Welfare Improvements

Recirculating aquaculture systems on land eliminate sea lice, reduce disease, and improve water quality, offering welfare advantages over net pen farming.

Key Facts

Land-based RAS systems eliminate sea lice and reduce disease significantly
Water quality in RAS can be precisely controlled for optimal fish health
RAS systems can be located near consumers, reducing transport stress
Production costs remain higher than net pen but are declining with technology improvements

Welfare Considerations

Land-based recirculating aquaculture systems address many of the core welfare problems of open net pen salmon farming. Sea lice are eliminated, disease is controlled, water quality is optimized, and fish are not exposed to ocean temperature extremes or predator risk. While challenges remain in RAS welfare management, the system improvement over net pens is significant and well-documented.

What You Can Do

Support companies investing in land-based aquaculture technology
Choose salmon from certified land-based farms where available
Advocate for policy support for land-based aquaculture transition
Reduce consumption of open net pen salmon where land-based alternatives are available