Land-Based Aquaculture: Recirculating Systems and Fish Welfare

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer opportunities for improved welfare control through precise water quality management, but also present specific welfare challenges requiring careful management.

Key Facts

RAS technology enables precise control of water temperature, oxygen, and water chemistry to optimize fish welfare conditions
Atlantic salmon raised in RAS avoid sea lice infestations that are a major welfare problem in open-net pen aquaculture
Stocking density in RAS can be optimized for welfare outcomes without the environmental pressure of open-water systems
Water quality failures in RAS can cause rapid catastrophic welfare harm to entire fish populations due to system dependency
RAS facilities are being built in inland locations including major urban areas, reducing transport distances to markets
Energy costs of RAS systems are significantly higher than open-net aquaculture, raising sustainability questions

Welfare Considerations

Land-based recirculating aquaculture offers genuine welfare advantages over open-net pen systems — particularly freedom from sea lice infestations, controlled environmental conditions, and design flexibility for welfare-positive stocking densities. However, RAS systems create new welfare risks through total dependence on technological systems whose failure can cause rapid catastrophic harm to entire fish populations. Welfare management in RAS requires robust redundancy systems, continuous monitoring, and emergency protocols that address the unique failure modes of these intensive systems. The long-term trajectory of RAS technology — with improving welfare monitoring integration and declining energy costs — suggests growing potential to provide fish with better welfare conditions than coastal net pen alternatives.

What You Can Do

Consider RAS-produced fish as a potentially higher welfare option compared to open-net pen farmed salmon from sea lice-affected regions
Advocate for RAS certification standards that include specific welfare criteria for stocking density, water quality, and system redundancy
Support research on welfare optimization in RAS systems including appropriate stocking density and enrichment provisions
Ask seafood producers whether they use RAS technology and what specific welfare advantages they provide
Engage with food companies on sourcing transitions toward RAS production as welfare monitoring systems improve