Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Pre-Harvest Crowding Stress

The pre-harvest crowding of farmed salmon to facilitate harvest causes extreme acute stress and is a major welfare concern.

Key Facts

Harvest crowding concentrates salmon to densities ten times normal
Crowding causes burst swimming, oxygen depletion, and scale loss
Pre-harvest fasting for 1-3 days precedes crowding, adding to stress
Electrical stunning before crowding significantly reduces suffering

Welfare Considerations

Pre-harvest crowding is one of the most acute welfare insults in salmon farming. Extreme density, oxygen depletion, and physical contact cause severe physiological stress. Pre-harvest electrical stunning applied before crowding substantially reduces the welfare cost.

What You Can Do

Support salmon certification schemes that include harvest welfare standards
Advocate for pre-harvest stunning requirements in aquaculture regulation
Reduce salmon consumption or choose certified welfare products
Back research into lower-stress harvest methods for farmed fish