Acoustic conditions in salmon farming — both from farm operations and the marine environment — affect salmon welfare through their impacts on stress responses and behavior.
Acoustic welfare in salmon farming is an emerging area where the evidence base is advancing faster than regulatory frameworks. Salmon in sea cages are continuously exposed to low-frequency mechanical noise from farming operations — a chronic sensory stressor whose welfare impact has not been systematically quantified. Acoustic deterrent devices used against seal predators generate signals that may be within the aversive hearing range for salmon, creating a welfare cost of predator exclusion that is rarely acknowledged. The principle that welfare monitoring should include sensory environment is well-established for terrestrial animals; applying it to the acoustic environment of farmed fish represents a logical extension that salmon welfare science is beginning to investigate. Characterizing acoustic conditions in salmon cages and identifying noise reduction opportunities represents achievable welfare improvement within existing infrastructure.