Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Escape Prevention and Wild Welfare

Farmed salmon escaping from marine net pens interact with wild salmon populations, spreading disease and competing for resources with wild fish.

Key Facts

Millions of farmed salmon escape from net pens annually worldwide
Escaped farmed salmon compete with wild fish and interbreed with wild populations
Farmed salmon carry sea lice and disease that can transfer to wild fish
Stronger nets and predator-proof designs reduce escapes significantly

Welfare Considerations

Escaped farmed salmon face welfare challenges as they lack wild survival skills and compete poorly with wild-adapted fish. Interbreeding dilutes wild population fitness adaptations built over thousands of generations. Wild fish that encounter escaped farmed salmon carrying disease face welfare harms from disease transmission. Closed-containment and land-based farming eliminates escape risk entirely.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon from land-based or closed-containment farms
Advocate for stronger escape prevention requirements in salmon farming
Support wild salmon protection through regulations on open-net aquaculture
Reduce salmon consumption given the dual wild and farmed welfare concerns