Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Pre-slaughter Crowding Stress Advances

Pre-slaughter crowding is a major acute welfare stressor for farmed salmon with new methods reducing impact.

Key Facts

Crowding concentrates fish, reducing oxygen and increasing cortisol dramatically
Feed withdrawal for 24-72 hours before slaughter adds to pre-slaughter welfare compromise
New pumping technologies reduce crowding time and physical injury
CO2 stunning before crowding is being explored to minimise pre-slaughter suffering

Welfare Considerations

Pre-slaughter handling is among the highest welfare-risk periods for farmed salmon. Fish experience severe crowding stress, physical injury, and hypoxia. Improving pre-slaughter protocols through better technology and monitoring can reduce this suffering significantly.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon from producers with documented pre-slaughter welfare protocols
Support aquaculture welfare research on pre-slaughter methods
Advocate for pre-slaughter welfare standards in fish certification schemes