Atlantic cod aquaculture is developing as an alternative to depleted wild fisheries. Understanding the welfare challenges specific to farmed cod helps direct research and policy toward genuinely better outcomes.
Farmed cod welfare science is at an early stage, creating an opportunity to establish welfare principles before the industry scales rather than retrofitting them afterward. The lessons learned from salmon aquaculture — the welfare importance of stocking density, water quality, disease management, and humane slaughter — apply equally to cod but must be adapted to the specific biology and behavior of this species. Investing in cod welfare research now, before the industry becomes entrenched in practices developed without welfare consideration, is the most effective way to prevent future welfare problems at scale.