Aquaculture Salmon Predator Management Welfare

Predator management at salmon farms raises welfare concerns for both the farmed salmon and the predators including seals, herons, and cormorants that are killed or deterred.

Key Facts

Seals are the primary predator concern at salmon farms, causing both stock losses and net damage
Acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) are used to deter seals but may also affect cetacean welfare
Scotland issues licences to shoot seals at salmon farms as a last resort predator control measure
Herons and cormorants can be legally deterred but lethal control requires licence in the UK
Well-maintained nets with predator exclusion barriers can significantly reduce seal predation without deterrents
Sea lice spread from farmed to wild salmon is partly influenced by seal-driven fish schooling behaviour

Welfare Considerations

Predator management at aquaculture sites creates a welfare conflict between farmed animals and the predators attracted to concentrated prey. Acoustic deterrent devices effective against seals may disturb harbour porpoises and dolphins in surrounding waters. Seal shooting causes distress and injury to individual animals. Investing in physical predator exclusion infrastructure - improved nets and barriers - reduces the need for active predator control while improving both farmed fish welfare and predator welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture certification schemes that prohibit lethal predator control where alternatives exist
Advocate for investment in physical predator exclusion as the primary management approach
Support research into effective, non-lethal predator deterrence technologies for aquaculture
Choose salmon products from farms with transparent predator management policies