Farmed Salmon Welfare: Comprehensive Review of a Complex Industry

Atlantic salmon farming is one of the largest and most welfare-significant aquaculture sectors globally, with welfare challenges spanning the entire production cycle from smolt rearing to harvest — and growing consumer awareness driving meaningful industry change.

Key Facts

Norway produces approximately 1.4 million tonnes of farmed Atlantic salmon annually, accounting for around 50% of global production
Salmon are held in sea pens at densities of 15-25 kg per cubic metre during the grow-out phase, significantly higher than wild population densities
Sea lice, amoebic gill disease, salmon anaemia, and fin damage are the leading welfare problems across the production cycle
Mortality rates in Norwegian salmon farming average 15-20% over the production cycle, representing tens of millions of fish deaths annually
Pre-slaughter stunning is required in Norway and some other producing countries but remains absent in others, affecting billions of fish annually
The Welfare Quality framework and RSPCA Assured aquaculture standards are being adapted for salmon to provide structured welfare assessment
Consumer awareness of salmon welfare is increasing — campaigns by Compassion in World Farming and Fish Welfare Initiative are targeting major retailers

Welfare Considerations

Farmed salmon welfare is one of the most significant and rapidly evolving areas of aquaculture welfare policy. The scale of production — billions of fish annually — combined with multiple serious welfare challenges across the production cycle makes this a priority area for welfare intervention. The good news is that consumer and corporate pressure is beginning to drive meaningful change: pre-slaughter stunning requirements are expanding, lice management is improving, and welfare assessment frameworks are being developed. The pace of change needs to accelerate significantly to match the scale of the welfare problem, requiring sustained pressure from consumers, retailers, and regulators simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Choose farmed salmon from producers certified under welfare schemes requiring pre-slaughter stunning and lice monitoring
Ask supermarkets and fish retailers about their salmon supplier welfare standards, particularly around stunning and lice management
Support Fish Welfare Initiative and Compassion in World Farming campaigns targeting retail salmon buyers
Reduce farmed salmon consumption where alternatives are available, choosing lower-welfare-burden species instead
Advocate for pre-slaughter stunning to be mandatory for all farmed fish in your country
Support research into salmon welfare indicators and assessment frameworks that can drive industry-wide improvement
Donate to organisations working specifically on farmed fish welfare to increase the resources available for this underfunded area