Aquaculture

Aquaculture Disease Management and Fish Welfare

Disease outbreaks in fish farming cause mass mortality and significant chronic suffering, making disease management a central welfare priority.

Key Facts

Infectious disease is the leading cause of production loss and fish mortality in aquaculture
Crowded conditions promote disease transmission
Vaccination reduces reliance on antibiotics in salmon and other species
Biosecurity measures including equipment disinfection and fallowing reduce disease risk
Chronic low-level infection causes behavioural changes and reduced welfare

Welfare Considerations

Disease is both a welfare and production problem in aquaculture. Fish suffering from chronic infections experience reduced immunity, altered behaviour, and often painful physical lesions. Preventive biosecurity and vaccination significantly reduce disease-related suffering.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture certification requiring disease management standards
Advocate for independent monitoring of disease rates on fish farms
Choose seafood from farms with transparent health management records