Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Pre-Slaughter Crowding Stress Management

The pre-slaughter crowding and pumping of farmed salmon is a major welfare challenge requiring careful protocol management.

Key Facts

Salmon are crowded to high densities during seine netting before slaughter
Crowding causes physiological stress including elevated cortisol within minutes
Physical injury during pumping and handling affects meat quality and welfare
CO2 anaesthesia before crowding is used in some Norwegian operations
Welfare during this phase is among the most observed and contested in salmon farming

Welfare Considerations

Pre-slaughter handling involves multiple stressors in rapid succession: seine netting, crowding, pumping, brailing and killing. Each step compounds physiological and psychological stress. Reducing crowding duration, using anaesthesia, and minimising mechanical injury are the most effective welfare interventions available.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon from farms with certified welfare standards including pre-slaughter protocols
Support industry-wide adoption of anaesthesia or percussive stunning before crowding
Advocate for mandatory pre-slaughter welfare standards in national aquaculture regulations
Monitor and support welfare science research on salmon pre-slaughter methods