Aquaculture

Aquaculture Net Pen Welfare Standards

Open net pen aquaculture creates welfare challenges from crowding, disease, and environmental exposure that better management can address.

Key Facts

Net pen salmon can be stocked at densities exceeding 20kg per cubic meter
Crowding increases aggression, injury, and disease transmission
Storm damage to net pens causes mass escape and associated welfare crises
Water quality in heavily stocked pens declines significantly during production cycles

Welfare Considerations

Net pen aquaculture places fish in uncontrolled marine environments while simultaneously crowding them at densities far exceeding their natural social tolerances. The combination of crowding stress and environmental unpredictability creates chronic welfare compromise throughout the production cycle.

What You Can Do

Support transition to land-based recirculating aquaculture systems
Choose certified net pen salmon from operations with published welfare standards
Advocate for stocking density limits in aquaculture licensing
Reduce consumption of salmon from open-net marine production systems