Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Deformity and Welfare

Skeletal and jaw deformities in farmed salmon affect welfare and survival - monitoring and prevention through hatchery management is essential.

Key Facts

Spinal deformities can affect 5-15% of salmon in affected hatcheries
Jaw deformities impair feeding ability and cause chronic welfare compromise
Poor water quality and vitamin C deficiency are primary deformity causes
Deformed fish experience reduced feeding competition success and chronic pain
Mortality from deformity is highest in the first months of life

Welfare Considerations

Deformity causes chronic welfare compromise in affected fish - impaired feeding, chronic pain, and social disadvantage. Hatchery management that prevents deformity is both a welfare and production priority, as deformed fish rarely reach commercial size.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes that require deformity monitoring in salmon hatcheries
Advocate for hatchery water quality and nutrition standards that prevent deformity
Choose salmon from certified farms with published deformity and mortality data