Aquaculture

Salmon Cleaner Fish Lumpfish Welfare Standards

Lumpfish are increasingly deployed as cleaner fish in salmon farming but face distinct welfare challenges from wrasse.

Key Facts

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) are farmed specifically for use as salmon cleaner fish
Unlike wrasse, lumpfish are farmed from egg to deployment rather than wild-caught
Lumpfish suffer high mortality in sea cages due to crowding, disease and inadequate welfare standards
They require access to structures to rest on and adequate oxygen levels to function effectively
The aquaculture industry has invested in lumpfish hatchery development but welfare standards lag behind salmon

Welfare Considerations

Lumpfish deployed in salmon cages experience significant mortality from conditions poorly suited to their biological needs. They are frequently treated as consumable tools rather than sentient animals deserving welfare consideration in their own right. Developing and enforcing welfare standards specific to lumpfish is an urgent gap in aquaculture regulation.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes developing cleaner fish welfare standards
Advocate for regulatory inclusion of lumpfish and wrasse in aquaculture welfare legislation
Choose salmon from farms with documented cleaner fish welfare monitoring protocols
Follow Fish Welfare Initiative and Aquaculture Stewardship Council on cleaner fish welfare developments