Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Atlantic Cod Emerging Welfare

Atlantic cod aquaculture is in early development. Welfare lessons from salmon farming can inform welfare-positive practices from the outset in this emerging sector.

Key Facts

Cod aquaculture is commercially limited but growing in Norway and Iceland
Cod are batch spawners with complex reproduction behavior
Sea lice are less of a problem for cod than salmon
Jaw deformities are a significant welfare issue in intensively farmed cod
Cod show clear behavioral stress responses to handling and crowding

Welfare Considerations

Emerging aquaculture species like Atlantic cod offer an opportunity rarely available in established industries: to design welfare-positive systems from the beginning rather than retrofitting welfare improvements. Applying lessons from salmon welfare science to cod farming now can prevent the establishment of harmful practices.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture research programs that include welfare from the outset
Advocate for welfare standards in emerging aquaculture species regulations
Choose cod from certified sustainable and welfare-conscious sources
Support research into cod welfare indicators and stress responses