Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Pre-Slaughter Welfare Assessment

Pre-slaughter welfare assessment in salmon farming uses behavioural and physiological indicators to ensure fish arrive at slaughter in acceptable welfare states.

Key Facts

Crowding, transport, and lairage before slaughter create cumulative stress in salmon
Loss of equilibrium (LOE) is a key welfare indicator during pre-slaughter handling
Water temperature management during pre-slaughter holding affects stress levels
Rapid visual assessment tools allow batch welfare scoring during production
The Salmon Welfare Index integrates multiple indicators into an actionable welfare score

Welfare Considerations

Pre-slaughter welfare assessment provides data to drive management improvements. Facilities that monitor and respond to welfare indicators before slaughter achieve better welfare outcomes than those that only manage slaughter method efficiency.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture certification requiring pre-slaughter welfare assessment
Advocate for welfare outcome reporting as part of salmon certification
Choose salmon from producers demonstrating continuous welfare monitoring
Encourage industry adoption of validated salmon welfare assessment tools