Aquaculture

Farmed Fish Cortisol as Welfare Indicator

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in fish and a key welfare indicator for aquaculture management assessment.

Key Facts

Cortisol elevation in fish indicates activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal stress axis
Acute cortisol response to handling normalises within hours in non-chronically stressed fish
Chronically elevated baseline cortisol indicates persistent welfare compromise in aquaculture systems
Non-invasive cortisol measurement from tank water provides animal-friendly welfare assessment

Welfare Considerations

Cortisol monitoring enables objective welfare assessment in fish populations where behavioural assessment is challenging. Non-invasive water cortisol sampling measures population stress without the additional handling stress of blood sampling. Incorporating cortisol monitoring into aquaculture welfare audit creates more objective assessment.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture welfare research using cortisol as objective welfare measure
Advocate for welfare biomarker inclusion in aquaculture certification standards
Choose salmon and trout from producers using animal-based welfare monitoring