Norway's Atlantic salmon industry has developed some of the most advanced aquaculture welfare practices globally, driven by regulatory requirements and commercial incentives for fish health.
Norwegian salmon welfare represents the most developed regulatory and industry framework for commercial fish welfare globally. The alignment of economic incentives (low mortality means more fish to sell) with welfare outcomes (healthy fish are welfare-positive fish) has driven industry adoption of welfare-improving practices that might otherwise face commercial resistance. The Norwegian experience demonstrates that commercial aquaculture welfare improvement is achievable at scale when regulatory requirements are backed by inspection and enforcement, and when economic incentives support rather than undermine welfare improvement. This model has influenced global salmon welfare standards.