Atlantic halibut are the largest flatfish in the world and extremely difficult to farm due to their slow growth and specific husbandry requirements. Welfare challenges have limited the growth of halibut aquaculture.
Halibut aquaculture welfare challenges are substantial: high rates of cataracts causing blindness, skeletal deformities from nutritional imbalances in early feeding, and pigmentation abnormalities suggesting developmental stress. Their slow growth means welfare problems accumulate over long production cycles. Wild-caught halibut face the same barotrauma risks as other deep-water flatfish. The extremely small scale of halibut aquaculture production means that welfare improvements are technically feasible but require investment that production volumes may not justify.