Atlantic cod aquaculture is expanding as wild stocks remain depleted from decades of overfishing. Understanding the welfare challenges of farming this species helps inform better standards for a growing industry.
Farmed cod welfare science is less developed than for Atlantic salmon, yet many of the same fundamental concerns apply. Aggressive behaviour and size-related cannibalism in cod rearing cause injury and stress at a population level; size grading to reduce size disparity is a welfare-positive management practice but carries its own handling stress. Optimal thermal and oxygen conditions are critical for a cold-water species that shows measurable stress responses to poor water quality. Pre-slaughter welfare — where the industry has made significant progress in salmon — needs urgent attention for cod. The expanding cod aquaculture industry has an opportunity to embed welfare standards from the outset rather than retrofitting them to existing practices.