Welfare certification for farmed salmon is an emerging and contested field, with standards from ASC, RSPCA Assured, and others beginning to define minimum requirements for stocking density, handling, and slaughter.
Salmon welfare certification is more meaningful than no certification, but significant gaps remain in what current standards require. Sea lice management — involving immersion treatments, mechanical removal, and wrasse cleaner fish — causes welfare harms that certified and non-certified farms handle similarly. Stocking density standards vary significantly between schemes, and the relationship between density and welfare for salmon is complex. The most important welfare variable — stunning method at slaughter — is addressed in RSPCA Assured but not most other certifications. Consumer demand for welfare transparency is driving gradual improvement, but independent auditing and clear labeling remain insufficient.