Atlantic cod aquaculture is an emerging sector facing welfare challenges unique to domesticating a species with limited farming history.
Farmed cod welfare challenges illustrate the difficulties of domesticating wild species for aquaculture. The natural behaviors of cod - including cannibalism at high density - create welfare problems that require management interventions with their own welfare implications. Low domestication means cod retain stronger stress responses to handling and confinement than more domesticated species like salmon. The welfare framework for emerging aquaculture species must account for these species-specific challenges while establishing baseline standards that improve as knowledge develops.