Atlantic cod aquaculture is developing as wild cod populations remain depleted, and establishing welfare standards from the beginning is essential to avoid repeating the welfare failures of earlier aquaculture species.
Farmed cod represents an opportunity to build welfare standards into an industry before poor practices become entrenched. The history of salmon farming shows how welfare was an afterthought in early industry development, creating welfare problems that take decades to address. Establishing welfare science, monitoring requirements, and standards early in cod aquaculture development — before production reaches the scale that makes reform costly — is the proactive welfare approach. Supporting research into cod welfare indicators, advocating for welfare inclusion in emerging cod aquaculture certification, and choosing early-adopter sustainable cod products that include welfare commitments all advance this proactive approach.