Atlantic salmon feed formulation has shifted dramatically from wild-caught fishmeal to plant-based and novel proteins. These changes have significant implications for salmon health and welfare.
Salmon nutrition is a welfare-critical factor that intersects with environmental sustainability in complex ways. The shift away from marine-ingredient-based feeds has been necessary to reduce pressure on wild fish stocks, but it has created nutritional challenges for a species evolved to consume marine organisms. Soy-based protein substitutes trigger intestinal inflammation in some salmon — a painful condition reducing nutrient absorption and immune function. Reduced omega-3 content affects cardiovascular and neurological health. The solution is not to return to high fishmeal diets but to develop nutritionally complete alternatives including insect meal, algae-derived omega-3 oils, and precision fermentation proteins that meet salmon biological needs. Salmon welfare requires feed formulations optimised for fish health, not just production efficiency.