Aquaculture Welfare

Salmon Disease Surveillance and Welfare

Disease surveillance in salmon aquaculture protects both welfare and production by enabling early detection and targeted response.

Key Facts

Infectious salmon anaemia, pancreatic disease, and salmon rickettsial syndrome cause major welfare losses
Early detection through regular health monitoring allows containment before disease becomes established
Environmental monitoring including plankton surveys predicts conditions favorable for AGD outbreaks
Mortality monitoring and reporting systems provide surveillance data across cage sites
International data sharing enables faster response to emerging disease threats

Welfare Considerations

Disease surveillance is both a welfare tool and a biosecurity tool in salmon farming. Early detection prevents the escalation of disease from subclinical to clinical suffering, protecting both farmed fish and wild populations.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture welfare certification requiring health monitoring protocols
Advocate for mandatory disease reporting systems that enable sector-wide surveillance
Purchase salmon from producers with transparent disease management records