Advanced welfare management for farmed Atlantic cod addresses the commercial challenges of this species and the specific welfare needs that have contributed to the industry's difficulties.
Advanced cod welfare management confronts a species whose biological characteristics create production challenges that interact with welfare in complex ways. The cannibalistic tendency requiring intensive grading creates repeated handling stress events. The high sensitivity to handling demands more refined protocols than are typically applied to more robust species. Photoperiod manipulation affecting maturation creates behavioral and physiological consequences that require assessment from a welfare perspective. The underdeveloped state of cod-specific welfare research means that management is often extrapolated from other species, creating the risk of welfare assumptions that do not hold for this species. Investment in cod-specific welfare science is needed before the industry expands significantly.