Atlantic cod aquaculture is growing as wild stocks recover slowly from collapse. Captive cod welfare requires attention to crowding, feeding and disease management.
Cod welfare in aquaculture faces the challenge of a species with complex spatial and social behaviour being held in the simplified conditions of intensive farming. Aggressive feeding hierarchies in cod mean that stocking density management is critical — high densities prevent subordinate fish from feeding adequately while dominant fish overeat. Disease management requires biosecurity approaches that reduce stress rather than just treating illness after outbreak. The welfare knowledge base for cod is less developed than for salmonids, leaving producers without robust evidence-based guidance. Investment in cod-specific welfare research would generate returns in both welfare quality and production efficiency.