Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Lice Biological Control and Cleaner Fish

Cleaner fish - wrasse and lumpfish - are used to control sea lice on salmon, but their own welfare is often neglected.

Key Facts

Over 50 million cleaner fish are deployed in Norwegian salmon farms annually
Ballan wrasse and goldsinny wrasse are the primary species used as cleaner fish
Lumpfish are increasingly used as they are more robust in cold northern waters
Wrasse mortality rates in salmon cages can exceed 50-80% annually from disease and handling
Cleaner fish welfare is often not considered in salmon farm welfare assessments

Welfare Considerations

Cleaner fish are sentient vertebrates whose welfare is frequently disregarded because they serve a functional role. High mortality rates indicate severe welfare failures. Wrasse in salmon cages face predation from salmon, disease, inappropriate water temperatures and inadequate shelter. Welfare standards for cleaner fish are an urgent gap.

What You Can Do

Advocate for welfare standards for cleaner fish as part of salmon aquaculture certification
Support research into humane alternatives to biological sea lice control
Choose salmon certified to schemes that address cleaner fish welfare
Engage with salmon industry sustainability initiatives about cleaner fish welfare gaps