Recirculating aquaculture systems eliminate sea lice and reduce environmental impacts of salmon farming, but create their own welfare challenges related to water quality, light regimes, and stocking density.
Recirculating aquaculture systems represent a welfare and environmental improvement over open sea cage farming in some dimensions while creating new challenges in others. Eliminating sea lice exposure removes a major source of chronic welfare harm. However, the artificial indoor environment requires careful management of water chemistry, light cycles, and stocking density to maintain fish welfare. RAS technology is rapidly advancing, and welfare standards for RAS salmon are still being developed as the industry scales up. Consumer demand for certified higher-welfare RAS salmon can drive adoption of best practice across the growing sector.