Atlantic salmon aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food sectors, but fish welfare in intensive net pen systems presents significant challenges that the industry is beginning to address.
Atlantic salmon welfare is a major and underappreciated issue given the scale of production. Sea lice, crowding, stressful mechanical treatments, and slaughter practices affect the welfare of billions of individual fish. Fish sentience is increasingly supported by scientific evidence, making this a welfare issue of potentially enormous scale. The aquaculture industry is beginning to respond to welfare pressure through improved monitoring technology, lower stocking densities, and better slaughter practices, but progress is uneven and consumer demand for welfare-certified products remains limited. Driving higher welfare standards through consumer choices and regulatory advocacy is particularly high-impact given the scale.