Atlantic cod and halibut aquaculture is developing as wild stocks decline, but both species present specific welfare challenges requiring careful husbandry innovation.
Cod and halibut welfare in aquaculture is shaped by the specific developmental biology and behaviour of each species. Skeletal deformities in cod, which cause chronic pain and movement difficulties, represent a welfare failure linked to water quality, nutrition, and stocking conditions during critical developmental periods. Prevention through better early husbandry is more welfare-appropriate than accepting deformity as an industry norm. Halibut territorial aggression requires lower stocking densities than many other farmed fish, with welfare implications for production economics.