Advanced research into Atlantic salmon cognition, pain, and behaviour is reshaping understanding of their welfare needs and informing higher standards in salmon aquaculture.
The scientific understanding of salmon sentience and welfare capacity has advanced substantially in recent years. Evidence that salmon experience something functionally equivalent to pain, learn from negative experiences, and show signs of chronic stress under poor farming conditions makes the welfare status of the billions of salmon farmed annually a major ethical issue. Common farming practices including high stocking densities, sea lice infestations, and poor slaughter methods cause significant suffering at scale. The industry has the technical capacity to improve welfare substantially — through lower densities, effective lice prevention, enriched environments, and improved slaughter protocols — but economic pressures and regulatory gaps slow adoption. Consumer demand and certification requirements are important levers for change.