Moving beyond the absence of suffering, positive welfare science for farmed salmon identifies indicators of good experiences including play, exploration, and optimal physiological states.
Positive welfare science for farmed salmon represents a conceptual advance beyond simply minimizing harm. Salmon in high-welfare environments show measurable positive behaviors including active feeding, exploratory behavior, and play-like activity that indicate genuine wellbeing rather than mere survival. Incorporating positive welfare indicators alongside negative welfare measures into farm assessment protocols enables farmers to identify not just what is causing suffering but what conditions promote thriving. This shift toward positive welfare measurement is transforming how salmon farming excellence is defined and measured.