Atlantic cod farming is expanding as wild stocks recover slowly from historical overfishing. Welfare science for farmed cod identifies crowding, aggression, and slaughter practices as priority concerns for an industry still developing its standards.
Farmed cod present welfare challenges distinct from salmonids. Their cannibalistic tendencies require careful size-segregation management, and failure to grade fish frequently results in significant injury and mortality among smaller individuals. Cod held at high densities show reduced feeding activity, increased aggression, and elevated stress hormones — all negative welfare indicators. Handling sensitivity means that routine management events such as grading, vaccination, and transport must be carefully designed to minimise duration and physical contact. At slaughter, percussion stunning followed by immediate bleeding is preferable to live-chilling, which studies confirm is aversive. Industry welfare guides developed by Norwegian research institutes provide the most detailed current standards for cod-specific welfare management.