Hatchery conditions during the early life of farmed Atlantic salmon significantly influence adult behaviour, stress responses and welfare throughout the production cycle.
Hatchery welfare matters because early life conditions shape the fish that will spend months or years in sea cages. High-density, barren hatchery conditions programme elevated stress responses that persist into adult life, reducing welfare throughout production. Enriched hatchery environments, appropriate densities and careful management of sensitive developmental periods improve welfare from the very beginning.