Where an aquaculture farm is located fundamentally affects the welfare of the fish it holds. Water quality, current patterns, disease pressure, and ecosystem health are all influenced by site selection.
Site selection decisions made before a farm is built shape every welfare outcome for the animals housed there throughout the farm's operational lifetime. A poorly chosen site - with inadequate water exchange, high disease pressure from neighboring farms, or unsuitable currents - creates chronic welfare problems that are difficult or impossible to manage once operations are underway. Welfare-conscious aquaculture development requires site assessment to include welfare indicators alongside environmental and financial factors. The aquaculture industry is moving in this direction, with regulatory requirements for environmental impact assessment expanding in several countries. But significant gaps remain, particularly for inland freshwater systems and in regions with less regulatory development.