Intestinal health is a critical but often overlooked aspect of farmed salmon welfare. Poor gut health causes chronic discomfort and reduces quality of life for millions of fish.
The transition away from fishmeal toward plant proteins in salmon aquaculture has created new welfare challenges. Plant-based ingredients contain antinutrients that damage intestinal epithelium, causing chronic inflammation. Fish experiencing gut inflammation display reduced feed intake, poor growth, and likely ongoing discomfort. Probiotics and careful feed formulation can mitigate these effects, but welfare monitoring for gut health requires specialized testing rather than simple observation. Farms investing in gut health management improve both welfare outcomes and production efficiency.