Wild Atlantic salmon face severe welfare challenges from habitat degradation, climate change, sea lice from fish farms, and fishing pressure, raising questions about their welfare during migration and predation.
Wild salmon welfare is shaped by habitat quality, migration success, and the fish's ability to complete its life cycle without excessive injury or stress. The parasitisation of wild smolts by sea lice from fish farms is a particularly significant welfare concern that connects farmed and wild fish welfare. Fish that reach spawning grounds after migration carry enormous energy reserves that are entirely spent on reproduction, meaning any additional stressor - parasites, obstacles, water temperature stress - reduces both their welfare and their reproductive success. River restoration, farm-to-wild sea lice reduction, fish pass improvement, and climate mitigation all contribute to wild salmon welfare. This is one area where welfare and conservation goals are perfectly aligned.