Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Lice Biological Control Progress

Biological control of sea lice using wrasse cleaner fish is growing globally - welfare of cleaner fish requires dedicated attention.

Key Facts

Wrasse including ballan wrasse and goldsinny wrasse are the primary cleaner fish species
Cleaner fish can remove 50-90% of lice under optimal conditions
Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) are increasingly used as a cold-water alternative
Welfare standards for cleaner fish are significantly lower than for salmon
Mortality of cleaner fish is high - often exceeding 50% per season in some operations

Welfare Considerations

Cleaner fish welfare is frequently overlooked in the focus on salmon welfare. Wrasse and lumpfish face mortality, disease, and inadequate conditions in sea cages. Improving cleaner fish welfare is both ethically important and practically beneficial - healthy cleaner fish work more effectively.

What You Can Do

Support organisations developing welfare standards for cleaner fish in salmon farming
Advocate for cleaner fish welfare to be included in salmon certification frameworks
Choose salmon from farms that publish cleaner fish welfare and mortality data