Farm Animals

Farmed Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Welfare

Broodstock salmon used for egg production face unique welfare challenges including repeated handling, stripping procedures, and physiological stress.

Key Facts

Broodstock are held for 3-5 years to produce roe for hatcheries
Annual stripping procedures cause significant handling stress
Broodstock have higher disease susceptibility than growing fish
End-of-life welfare is often neglected compared to production fish
Improved analgesia and handling protocols could reduce suffering

Welfare Considerations

Broodstock welfare has historically received less attention than grow-out fish welfare, despite these animals experiencing repeated, invasive procedures over multi-year periods. As the foundation of the salmon farming supply chain, improving broodstock welfare has cascading benefits for the entire industry's animal welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes that include broodstock welfare standards
Ask salmon producers about their broodstock handling protocols
Advocate for mandatory analgesia during stripping procedures
Support research into broodstock welfare indicators
Choose salmon from producers with transparent supply chain welfare reporting