Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon RAS Land-Based Systems Advanced

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) offer complete environmental control for salmon - welfare implications are both promising and challenging.

Key Facts

RAS systems recirculate 95-99% of water, dramatically reducing effluent and disease risk
Temperature, oxygen, and pH can be precisely controlled throughout the production cycle
Aggressive behaviour can increase in RAS due to limited visual barriers and escape possibilities
Stocking densities in RAS are often higher than sea cage limits
Commercial RAS salmon farming is growing with major investments in Norway, USA, and Singapore

Welfare Considerations

RAS systems offer genuine welfare advantages through disease reduction and environmental control, but can introduce new welfare challenges through high stocking density and limited habitat complexity. Welfare-conscious RAS design is an emerging priority.

What You Can Do

Support research into welfare-optimised RAS design for salmon
Advocate for welfare assessment frameworks specific to RAS salmon farming
Choose RAS salmon from farms with published welfare protocols and monitoring data