Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Pre-Slaughter Crowding Welfare

Pre-slaughter crowding is one of the highest-intensity welfare challenges in salmon farming, requiring evidence-based protocols to minimise suffering.

Key Facts

Crowding activates the HPA axis and causes measurable cortisol spikes
Fish may show escape behaviour, surface-breaking, and mucus loss
Brief, effective crowding is preferable to prolonged moderate crowding
Feed withdrawal combined with crowding compounds physiological stress
Electrical stunning immediately before killing eliminates crowding-related suffering

Welfare Considerations

Pre-slaughter crowding causes real suffering in salmon. Minimising crowding duration, using effective stunning, and implementing evidence-based pre-harvest protocols are achievable improvements that matter at scale.

What You Can Do

Support salmon certification schemes that include slaughter welfare standards
Choose products from farms audited against RSPCA Assured or similar
Advocate for mandatory pre-slaughter stunning standards