Atlantic cod aquaculture is a small but growing sector facing welfare challenges related to cannibalism, light management, and slaughter practices in a species once considered a commercial fisheries staple.
Farmed cod welfare research is less advanced than for salmon, leaving significant knowledge gaps. Cannibalism management in juvenile cod requires frequent size-grading operations that impose acute handling stress — stress responses measured in cortisol and behavioral indicators are comparable to those seen in salmon during similar operations. The use of artificial lighting to suppress maturation affects natural behavioral cycles and may have welfare implications not yet fully characterized. Cod handling tolerance is lower than salmon, meaning that crowding and netting operations cause more rapid deterioration in water quality through stress-related excretion. Slaughter method standards follow salmon protocols in most Norwegian operations, with percussive stunning increasingly required. As the sector grows, establishing species-specific welfare standards before large-scale production commences would represent a proactive approach rarely seen in aquaculture development.