Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Crowding Stress During Harvest

The final stages of salmon farming before harvest involve crowding and confinement that cause severe stress responses in fish.

Key Facts

Pre-harvest crowding increases cortisol levels 10-fold in some studies
Crowding causes fin damage, scale loss, and oxygen depletion
Starving fish for 24-72 hours before slaughter is standard but stressful
Electric stunning followed by bleeding is considered a more humane method
Welfare at slaughter is increasingly monitored by certification bodies

Welfare Considerations

The final hours of a farmed salmon's life are often its most stressful. Improving crowding management, reducing starvation duration, and ensuring effective stunning at slaughter are critical welfare interventions for millions of fish annually.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon certified under schemes with slaughter welfare standards
Advocate for mandatory pre-slaughter stunning requirements
Support research into fish welfare-friendly harvest methods