As cod and haddock aquaculture develops in Norway, Iceland, and Scotland, establishing species-specific welfare standards early can prevent entrenchment of the problems seen in established salmon farming.
The welfare opportunity with emerging cod and haddock aquaculture is to establish high standards during commercial development rather than retrofitting welfare into an established industry. The salmon farming sector demonstrates both what is achievable — significant welfare science investment, pain relief at delousing, some stunning at slaughter — and what happens when welfare is not built in from the start: decades of poor practice become economically entrenched and politically defended. Cod and haddock farming is small enough that the welfare research community, regulators, and the industry can work together to establish species-appropriate standards before high-volume production makes reform difficult. This is a rare opportunity for proactive welfare governance in aquaculture.