Hatchery restocking programs aim to supplement wild salmon populations, but raise welfare and ecological concerns worth examining carefully.
Wild salmon restocking programs present a complex welfare picture. Hatchery conditions often involve extreme crowding, disease outbreaks, and handling stress during stocking operations. The survival rate of released fish is typically low, meaning many fish experience stress and death without contributing to population recovery. Genetic and behavioral effects of hatchery rearing may compromise both individual welfare and population fitness. Modern best-practice hatcheries invest in environmental enrichment, disease management, and predator conditioning, but these remain the exception rather than the rule.