Atlantic cod aquaculture is expanding as wild stocks have been severely depleted. Developing welfare standards for farmed cod requires understanding their specific social, physiological, and environmental requirements.
Cod welfare research is less developed than for salmon, partly because the industry is smaller, but welfare challenges are significant. Cannibalism in cod farms means smaller, weaker individuals suffer severe injury and death — size grading to reduce size heterogeneity within groups is essential. Thermal stress during warming events requires active water cooling or site selection in deeper, cooler waters. The mismatch between cod's natural benthic (bottom-dwelling) lifestyle and midwater cage farming means fish cannot perform important substrate-associated behaviours. Crowding around feeding creates aggression and injury in a species that is already highly food-motivated. Welfare-positive cod farming requires addressing these species-specific challenges through appropriate stocking density, temperature management, and feeding system design.