Farmed cod production faces unique welfare challenges including cannibalism, aggression and disease susceptibility that require species-specific management approaches.
Farmed cod welfare presents a range of species-specific challenges that have contributed to the commercial difficulties of cod aquaculture. The strong cannibalistic tendency of cod requires intensive size-grading management to keep cohorts in appropriate size ranges, but grading procedures themselves cause significant handling stress. Cod sensitivity to handling means that routine husbandry operations carry higher welfare costs than equivalent procedures in salmon. The combination of these challenges means cod farming operations require particularly skilled management to maintain acceptable welfare standards. Research into cod behavior and welfare requirements informs improved management but the species remains challenging from a commercial welfare perspective.