Aquatic Animal Welfare

Farmed Salmon Pre-Harvest Welfare Metrics

Pre-harvest welfare assessment in salmon aquaculture evaluates key welfare indicators before slaughter to ensure fish are in good condition at end of life.

Key Facts

SWIM (Salmon Welfare Index Measure) provides a validated pre-harvest assessment tool
Welfare indicators assessed include fin erosion, cataracts, spinal deformities and skin condition
Pre-harvest crowding stress compounds injury risk during slaughter handling
Welfare assessment before harvest provides feedback on rearing system performance
Third-party pre-harvest welfare certification provides consumer and retailer assurance

Welfare Considerations

Pre-harvest welfare assessment closes the feedback loop in salmon production by providing objective data on welfare outcomes. Systematic assessment reveals system-level welfare failures that individual farm monitoring may miss. Third-party certification of pre-harvest welfare provides meaningful consumer assurance.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon with pre-harvest welfare certification using validated assessment tools
Advocate for mandatory pre-harvest welfare monitoring in aquaculture regulations
Support development of improved pre-harvest welfare assessment technology