Salmon Pre-Slaughter Welfare and Stunning Methods

How Atlantic salmon are killed in aquaculture and why improving pre-slaughter welfare for fish is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions available.

Key Facts

Norway alone produces over 1 million tonnes of farmed Atlantic salmon annually, representing billions of fish
Many salmon are killed by live chilling in ice slurry, a method that causes prolonged conscious suffering
Electrical stunning or percussive stunning before slaughter can render fish insensible immediately
RSPCA Assured certification requires electrical stunning before salmon slaughter in the UK
CO2 exposure — another common method — causes aversive sensations before loss of consciousness

Welfare Considerations

Salmon slaughter welfare represents one of the most significant opportunities to reduce suffering per unit of effort in animal welfare. The scale is enormous — billions of individual fish killed annually in aquaculture — and the difference between current practice (live chilling, CO2 narcosis) and best practice (electrical or percussive stunning) in terms of conscious suffering is dramatic. A salmon killed without prior stunning may experience minutes of acute stress and pain; one stunned effectively before killing experiences none. Regulatory and commercial pressure for better slaughter methods is growing, and consumer choices and advocacy play a real role in driving this change.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon products carrying RSPCA Assured, ASC, or equivalent certification that requires humane slaughter
Ask retailers and restaurants specifically about the slaughter method used for the salmon they sell
Support Fish Welfare Initiative's campaign for mandatory humane slaughter requirements in salmon aquaculture
Reduce farmed salmon consumption overall, or shift to plant-based alternatives
Advocate for regulatory requirements for effective stunning before slaughter in all farmed fish species