Amoebic gill disease and cardiomyopathy syndrome are leading welfare concerns in salmon aquaculture. Managing these conditions is central to salmon welfare throughout the production cycle.
Salmon gill and cardiac disease welfare management involves balancing the welfare of disease itself against the welfare costs of treatment. AGD freshwater treatments are effective but involve handling that causes acute stress. The welfare calculus favors treatment when disease is severe - untreated AGD causes chronic respiratory compromise - but optimal treatment timing requires careful disease monitoring to avoid unnecessary handling. CMS prevention through vaccination would represent a significant welfare improvement by eliminating a disease that can cause either sudden death or prolonged cardiac insufficiency. Surveillance programs that detect disease early enable earlier, potentially less stressful intervention.