Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer significant welfare advantages over traditional open-water farming by enabling precise water quality control, but their intensive nature creates new welfare challenges requiring careful management.
RAS represents one of the most promising technological paths toward improved aquaculture welfare. By removing dependency on environmental conditions and enabling precise parameter control, well-designed RAS facilities can provide consistently high water quality and reduce disease burden dramatically. However, the technology is not a welfare panacea. High stocking densities, uniform lighting, lack of substrate variety, and the catastrophic risk of equipment failure all pose welfare concerns. Additionally, economic pressures during the growth phase of RAS industry may lead operators to push density limits. Welfare-centred RAS design needs to go beyond water quality management to encompass behavioural opportunities and emergency protocols.