The pre-slaughter period for farmed Atlantic salmon involves crowding, pumping, and waiting that cause significant stress, with welfare improvements in this phase delivering direct welfare benefits for hundreds of millions of fish annually.
Pre-slaughter welfare for farmed salmon receives less attention than welfare during the growing phase but represents a critical welfare period affecting hundreds of millions of fish annually. The stress of crowding, pump transfer, and waiting causes fear responses, physical injury, and physiological stress that causes genuine suffering. Welfare improvements in this phase including gentler crowding methods, shorter waiting periods, and effective stunning before killing provide direct welfare benefits aligned with product quality improvements. The economic case for welfare investment in pre-slaughter handling is therefore stronger than for some other welfare improvements.