River hatcheries producing juvenile Atlantic salmon for wild population supplementation raise specific welfare considerations about early life conditions and the transition to wild environments.
Salmon hatchery welfare is important both for the welfare of individual fish and for the conservation outcomes that justify hatchery programmes. Hatchery conditions that compromise welfare also typically compromise the ecological effectiveness of supplementation programmes. Investing in improved hatchery conditions - including lower density, more complex environments, and appropriate nutritional management - serves both welfare and conservation goals simultaneously.