Farmed Atlantic salmon welfare has received more scientific and industry attention than most aquaculture species, creating a benchmark case study in welfare improvement.
Farmed salmon welfare represents an instructive case study in how scientific attention, industry engagement, and regulatory pressure can drive welfare improvement in aquaculture. Norway mandatory welfare assessment programs have generated industry-wide data enabling comparison and benchmarking that did not previously exist. Sea lice management has improved significantly through combined physical, biological, and medical treatment approaches. However, significant welfare gaps remain: mortality rates that would be unacceptable in terrestrial animal production are routine in salmon farming, and the welfare implications of slaughter methods used at harvest are inconsistently addressed. Progress is real but the baseline was so low that continued improvement is necessary.