In the hours before slaughter, salmon are crowded into nets for harvesting. This process causes extreme stress and compromises both welfare and meat quality.
The pre-slaughter period for farmed salmon concentrates multiple stressors in sequence: crowding, feed withdrawal, pumping, handling and stunning. Each step causes measurable physiological stress. Stress at slaughter also compromises meat quality through blood pooling and muscle texture changes - creating a market incentive aligned with welfare improvement. The most welfare-progressive salmon producers invest in rapid stunning systems that minimise the time fish are conscious after crowding, and in handling methods that reduce injury during pumping. Consumer certification choices can drive adoption of these better practices.