Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Welfare 2026 Progress: Reasons for Hope

Salmon welfare progress in 2026 provides genuine reasons for optimism alongside acknowledgment of remaining challenges.

Key Facts

Norway's salmon industry has significantly reduced antibiotic use through vaccination programmes
Pre-slaughter welfare standards are improving driven by retailer commitments
Genetic selection for welfare traits is becoming standard practice in leading breeding programmes
Consumer awareness of salmon welfare has increased substantially through welfare label campaigns

Welfare Considerations

Salmon welfare has improved measurably over the past decade through vaccination, stunning technology, and certification standards. The rate of improvement is accelerating driven by consumer demand and retailer commitments. The remaining gaps - lice treatment welfare, cleaner fish welfare, and density management - are being actively addressed.

What You Can Do

Celebrate welfare progress with retailers and producers who have improved their standards
Choose certified higher welfare salmon to support continued market incentives for improvement
Maintain advocacy pressure on remaining welfare gaps while acknowledging and rewarding progress