The slaughter of farmed salmon involves welfare considerations at the point of harvest that have driven significant industry change in Norway and are beginning to influence global standards.
Salmon slaughter welfare has improved more rapidly than almost any other fish welfare issue, driven by Norwegian regulatory leadership and industry collaboration. The shift from CO2 immersion -- which causes a prolonged period of distress before unconsciousness -- to percussive and electrical stunning represents a genuine welfare advance for billions of individual fish. The remaining challenges include ensuring equipment maintenance keeps stunning effective, monitoring welfare during the period between stunning and death, and extending these standards to salmon farming in other countries including Chile, Scotland, and Canada where standards vary significantly.