Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Hatchery Welfare Standards Advanced 2026

Advanced hatchery welfare standards in 2026 set higher bars for water quality, handling, and deformity management.

Key Facts

ASC salmon certification now includes hatchery site welfare assessment requirements
Deformity rate monitoring with reporting thresholds is included in leading welfare standards
Anaesthetic use for sampling and vaccination is required by RSPCA Assured from hatchery stage
Water quality parameters including CO2 and ammonia are measured and reported in leading hatcheries

Welfare Considerations

Hatchery welfare sets the baseline for the entire production cycle. Advanced hatchery standards that mandate water quality monitoring, anaesthetic use, and deformity management reduce the welfare burden inherited by every fish entering production. Welfare investment at hatchery stage compounds across the production lifecycle.

What You Can Do

Support certification standards requiring hatchery welfare assessment for all certified salmon
Advocate for hatchery welfare requirements in national aquaculture licensing
Choose salmon from producers with published hatchery welfare performance data