Aquaculture Welfare: Cleaner Fish in Salmon Farming

Lumpfish and wrasse are used as cleaner fish in salmon farms to control sea lice, but their own welfare needs are often inadequately considered.

Key Facts

Cleaner fish including lumpfish and ballan wrasse eat sea lice from salmon in pens
Over 50 million lumpfish are produced in hatcheries annually for the Norwegian salmon industry
Lumpfish survival rates in salmon pens are often poor - average survival below 50%
Lumpfish are often provided with inadequate shelter in nets dominated by salmon
Wrasse captured from wild populations may not adapt well to salmon pen conditions
Cleaner fish are rarely included in farm biosecurity plans or welfare monitoring
Lumpfish in suboptimal conditions show reduced cleaning activity and welfare indicators
There is no specific welfare legislation covering cleaner fish in most salmon-producing countries

Welfare Considerations

Cleaner fish occupy a paradoxical position in salmon welfare - they are used to improve salmon welfare through sea lice control but their own welfare is frequently neglected. Lumpfish are sentient fish with welfare needs including shelter, appropriate water quality, and protection from salmon aggression. High mortality rates suggest systemic welfare problems. Wrasse removed from wild populations experience capture stress and habitat disruption. Regulatory frameworks and industry standards need to explicitly include cleaner fish welfare.

What You Can Do

Support development of cleaner fish welfare standards within salmon farm certification schemes
Ask salmon retailers about their cleaner fish welfare policies
Advocate for regulatory inclusion of cleaner fish in farm animal welfare legislation
Support research into cleaner fish welfare indicators and optimal husbandry
Choose salmon from farms with demonstrably lower sea lice levels and transparent welfare reporting