Farmed Salmon Wrasse and Lumpfish Cleaner Fish Welfare

Wrasse and lumpfish are deployed in salmon sea cages to control sea lice biologically, but their own welfare needs are frequently neglected.

Key Facts

Up to 200 million cleaner fish (lumpfish and wrasse) are used annually in Norwegian and Scottish salmon farming
Cleaner fish suffer high mortality rates in salmon sea cages, often 50-80% within a growing season
Lumpfish are produced in dedicated hatcheries and require specific welfare conditions very different from salmon
Wrasse wild capture for use as cleaner fish raises conservation concerns for wild wrasse populations
The Cleaner Fish Council and researchers have identified minimum welfare standards for cleaner fish hatcheries

Welfare Considerations

Cleaner fish welfare is a critical but often overlooked dimension of salmon aquaculture welfare. The use of millions of small fish - lumpfish and wrasse - as biological sea lice control tools has created a large new population of farmed animals with their own complex welfare needs. Their high mortality rates indicate severely inadequate welfare provision. The fact that they serve a utilitarian function in salmon production does not diminish their intrinsic value as sentient individuals deserving appropriate care.

What You Can Do

Support research into cleaner fish welfare requirements and hatchery standards
Advocate for regulatory inclusion of cleaner fish welfare in salmon aquaculture licensing
Choose certified salmon from farms with documented cleaner fish welfare standards
Support development of non-biological sea lice control alternatives that reduce cleaner fish dependence
Engage with salmon certification bodies about cleaner fish welfare requirements