Atlantic cod aquaculture is expanding as wild stocks recover slowly. Welfare standards for farmed cod are underdeveloped, creating an urgent need for research.
Farmed cod welfare represents a significant emerging issue in aquaculture. As production expands to fill gaps left by declining wild stocks, welfare standards have not kept pace. Cod are cognitively complex fish with strong schooling instincts, active predatory behaviour, and high space requirements. Welfare challenges including crowding, handling stress, deformity rates, and harvest methods all require urgent research and regulatory attention. The expansion of cod farming without adequate welfare frameworks risks repeating the mistakes made in early salmon aquaculture.