Atlantic cod aquaculture welfare addresses crowding stress, light sensitivity, and disease management in a species recovering from near-collapse of wild stocks.
Cod aquaculture welfare presents species-specific challenges arising from cod behavioral ecology — their tendency toward cannibalism, light sensitivity, and cold-water bacterial susceptibility create management requirements distinct from salmon or trout. The welfare investment required to manage these challenges has contributed to the slow development of cod aquaculture relative to its potential. However, the welfare science developed for cod — addressing photoperiod management, size grading protocols, and disease prevention — provides a foundation for welfare-positive operations that could play a role in relieving pressure on decimated wild cod stocks through sustainable, welfare-conscious farming.