Atlantic cod farming is expanding in Norway and Iceland, with aggression and fin damage remaining the primary welfare challenges requiring targeted management interventions.
Cod welfare management requires species-specific approaches that account for their highly aggressive nature under intensive production conditions. Simply reducing stocking density is effective but economically limiting — structural enrichment and optimised feeding technology offer complementary tools. Research from Norwegian institutions shows that mixed-sex groups have lower aggression rates than single-sex production, suggesting sex-ratio management as a low-cost welfare intervention. The welfare science for cod is still developing, and current certification standards significantly lag the evidence.