Atlantic Cod Aquaculture Welfare: Reviving a Fishery with Better Practices

Welfare considerations in emerging Atlantic cod aquaculture and how lessons from salmon farming can improve conditions from the start.

Key Facts

Atlantic cod farming has been attempted since the 1970s with renewed commercial interest as wild stocks remain depleted in many areas
Cod are known to aggregate naturally at high densities in some wild contexts but show stress responses to aquaculture stocking densities above 25 kg/m3
Photoperiod manipulation accelerates cod growth but disrupts natural seasonal cycles potentially affecting welfare through circadian disruption
Cod are highly susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia and infectious pancreatic necrosis requiring vaccination programs with associated handling stress
Cannibalism is a significant welfare and production challenge in cod aquaculture with larger individuals consuming smaller conspecifics requiring size-grading
Slaughter methods for cod are less developed than for salmon with live chilling without stunning still common despite its poor welfare profile
Cod are bottom-dwelling species whose welfare needs in the water column differ significantly from pelagic salmon, requiring different cage design approaches

Welfare Considerations

Atlantic cod aquaculture represents both a conservation opportunity and a welfare risk. If developed thoughtfully using lessons from salmon farming mistakes, cod aquaculture could provide sustainable protein while avoiding the worst welfare practices that characterized early salmon production. However, commercial pressure to scale production quickly risks repeating the pattern of prioritizing productivity over welfare and then attempting retrofits after welfare problems become economically costly. The welfare case for getting cod aquaculture right from the beginning is strong: establishing welfare standards, appropriate stocking densities, vaccination protocols and humane slaughter requirements before commercial scale is reached is vastly easier than reforming established industry practices after the fact.

What You Can Do

Support the development of welfare standards for cod aquaculture before the industry reaches large commercial scale
Advocate for regulatory requirements for pre-slaughter stunning in all marine fish aquaculture including cod
Choose cod products from certified sustainable aquaculture sources with welfare provisions where available
Support research into cod behavioral needs and welfare indicators to build the evidence base for standards
Engage with aquaculture certification bodies to ensure cod welfare is included in expanding seafood standards