Welfare challenges and improvements in farmed Atlantic and Pacific halibut production, from juvenile rearing through to slaughter.
Halibut welfare in aquaculture requires attention at every life stage. Larval and juvenile rearing involves complex nutritional management and careful transition from live feed to pelleted diets; failures at this stage cause significant mortality and suffering. As adults, halibut need adequate floor space and low stocking densities to minimize territorial aggression and injury. Water quality management — particularly oxygen levels and temperature — is critical since halibut are physiologically sensitive. Pre-slaughter handling should minimize out-of-water time and distress, with electrical or percussion stunning employed before slaughter. The halibut industry is smaller than salmon aquaculture but growing, making early adoption of welfare standards important before practices become entrenched.