Pre-slaughter handling of farmed Atlantic salmon causes significant stress and suffering. Advances in stunning technology and handling protocols offer major welfare improvements for the industry.
Salmon slaughter welfare has become one of the highest-priority fish welfare issues due to the enormous scale of production and the severity of suffering associated with traditional methods. Ice slurry chilling does not cause rapid loss of consciousness — salmon remain sensate and experience the cold, hypoxia, and subsequent handling while still conscious. Electrical stunning using appropriate parameters causes immediate loss of consciousness, after which fish can be bled out humanely. Percussion stunning using automated spiking devices achieves similar outcomes. Welfare certification bodies have been instrumental in driving adoption of better slaughter methods, but non-certified producers continue with traditional methods. Consumer demand for certified products drives adoption more effectively than voluntary industry commitments.