Fish Net Pen Welfare Advances | Animal Welfare Hub

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon are the primary species farmed in sea-based net pens across Norway, Scotland, and Chile
Net pen salmon experience water currents, temperature variation, and sea lice pressure
Crowding stress increases with fish biomass density and is a primary welfare driver
Predator exclusion nets prevent bird and seal attacks but require regular maintenance
Submersible cages offer welfare benefits through reduced wave exposure and temperature stability
Mortality rates in sea cage salmon average 10-20% annually, indicating significant welfare problems

Welfare Considerations

Open-water net pen aquaculture presents welfare challenges that are difficult to fully address without fundamental changes to production systems. Fish are exposed to variable environmental conditions, cannot escape conspecific aggression or crowding pressure, and face disease and parasite challenges that require intervention with welfare costs of their own. The scale of Atlantic salmon net pen farming - involving billions of fish annually - means welfare improvements have enormous aggregate impact. Emerging technologies including submersible cages, real-time density monitoring, and non-invasive sea lice management represent genuine progress in addressing historically poor welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon with higher-welfare certification including welfare-specific auditing
Support retailers requiring net pen welfare standards from salmon suppliers
Advocate for mandatory stocking density limits and welfare monitoring in net pen regulations
Support research into net pen design improvements that enhance fish welfare
Learn about the welfare differences between net pen and land-based recirculating aquaculture
Ask restaurants about salmon sourcing welfare standards in their supply chains