Farm Animal Welfare

Lumpfish Cleaner Fish Welfare Advanced

Lumpfish are used as cleaner fish in salmon farming to control sea lice, but their welfare is poorly understood and often neglected.

Key Facts

Millions of lumpfish are deployed annually in Norwegian and Scottish salmon farms
Lumpfish have high mortality rates in net pens, often exceeding 50% within a production cycle
Welfare regulations for lumpfish are minimal despite their status as sentient vertebrates
Lumpfish feeding behaviour, social needs, and stress responses are still being researched
Alternatives to cleaner fish including lasers and freshwater treatments are expanding

Welfare Considerations

Lumpfish welfare is a serious and neglected issue in salmon aquaculture; the use of one species to control parasites in another requires full welfare accountability for both.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture welfare standards that explicitly cover cleaner fish
Advocate for research into lumpfish welfare and alternatives to their use
Choose salmon with certification covering cleaner fish welfare