Current salmon welfare certification schemes provide some protection but significant gaps remain. Understanding what certification covers and what it misses is essential for informed consumer choices.
Salmon welfare certification represents genuine but incomplete progress. ASC certification, while valuable for environmental sustainability, provides limited welfare protection compared to RSPCA Assured. Even RSPCA Assured, the most comprehensive UK standard, does not yet cover the complete production cycle from parent fish through hatchery to smolt welfare. The gaps between what certification covers and what complete lifecycle welfare requires are real and significant. Informed consumers who understand these gaps can make better choices by choosing RSPCA Assured over ASC, asking retailers about welfare specifications beyond certification minimums, and supporting campaigns that advocate for comprehensive certification standards.