Dissolved oxygen management is fundamental to salmon welfare in aquaculture. Low oxygen events cause acute suffering and mass mortality, while optimal oxygenation supports good welfare and growth.
Dissolved oxygen management in salmon farming is a clear case where welfare and production interests align strongly. Low oxygen kills fish quickly and reduces growth; optimal oxygenation supports both welfare and commercial outcomes. The development of real-time monitoring and automated aeration systems represents exactly the kind of technology that delivers genuine welfare improvement at scale. Despite this, hypoxia events continue to occur in farms with inadequate monitoring or response protocols, demonstrating that technology adoption requires regulatory requirements and enforcement rather than voluntary implementation alone. Welfare-informed oxygen management - including welfare-specific oxygen thresholds rather than production-optimised thresholds - should be a standard requirement in salmon farm licensing.