Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon RAS Land-based Welfare Considerations

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer potential welfare benefits for farmed salmon but also introduce new welfare challenges.

Key Facts

RAS recycles water through filtration systems, allowing indoor land-based salmon farming
Biosecurity advantages of RAS reduce sea lice burden and some infectious diseases
Water quality parameters in RAS must be precisely managed to maintain fish welfare
High ambient CO2 levels in RAS can cause distress and bone mineralisation problems
RAS allows salmon farming away from coastal ecosystems but requires high energy input

Welfare Considerations

RAS salmon farming removes some sea-based welfare threats but introduces new challenges including high CO2, water quality management requirements, and the total absence of natural environmental variation. Welfare in RAS systems depends entirely on technology reliability and management quality - failure of systems can cause rapid mass mortality.

What You Can Do

Support welfare monitoring standards specific to RAS salmon production
Advocate for independent CO2 and water quality monitoring in RAS facilities
Choose salmon certified with transparent production system information