Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Infectious Disease Welfare

Infectious diseases in salmon aquaculture cause significant mortality and suffering, with infectious salmon anaemia and pancreas disease among the most serious.

Key Facts

ISA virus can kill up to 50 percent of fish in an affected cage
Pancreas disease causes muscle inflammation and reduced feeding
Disease outbreaks often trigger mass emergency slaughter
Closed containment systems prevent most infectious diseases by isolating fish

Welfare Considerations

Salmon experiencing ISA or pancreas disease suffer from internal organ damage, muscle inflammation, and impaired ability to swim and feed normally. Mass emergency slaughter of infected cohorts causes significant acute distress. The infectious disease burden in open-net salmon farming is partly inherent to the open-water environment and partly a consequence of stocking density. Closed containment farming dramatically reduces infectious disease risk.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon from land-based or closed-containment farms when available
Support disease-resistant salmon genetics research
Advocate for biosecurity standards that reduce disease transmission in salmon farming
Reduce salmon consumption given ongoing disease welfare challenges