Pre-slaughter handling practices for Atlantic salmon including crowding, pumping, and transfer cause acute welfare harm that can be mitigated through improved operational protocols.
Pre-slaughter handling of Atlantic salmon involves a series of acute welfare harms including crowding stress, physical damage during pumping, and atmospheric exposure during transfer. These harms occur before stunning and represent a significant welfare burden that effective slaughter stunning alone cannot address. Operational changes including reduced crowding duration, minimised out-of-water exposure during transfer, and refined pumping systems can substantially reduce pre-slaughter welfare harm without major operational cost. Industry leading practice increasingly recognises that pre-slaughter welfare is not separate from slaughter welfare but part of a continuous welfare continuum.