Atlantic cod aquaculture has been pursued as a way to reduce wild catch pressure, but welfare challenges including cannibalism, disease, and spawning behavior management have complicated its development.
Farmed cod welfare faces the particular challenge of high cannibalism rates that require intensive size-grading management to prevent larger fish from preying on smaller cohort members. The welfare of frequently handled and sorted fish is compromised by repeated capture stress, making the management needed to prevent cannibalism itself welfare-challenging. Disease management adds another welfare dimension, as bacterial infections cause pain and physiological distress in affected fish. The photoperiod manipulation used to control spawning timing in broodstock may affect circadian rhythm and behavioral welfare through disruption of natural light cues. The economics of cod aquaculture have prevented large-scale commercial development, which has paradoxically meant limited regulatory attention to welfare standards in this species compared to salmon or trout.