Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Disease Challenge Research

Salmon disease challenge research that applies 3Rs principles reduces animal welfare costs while advancing vaccine and treatment development.

Key Facts

Challenge model refinement is replacing lethal endpoints with sublethal welfare assessment
Cell culture and organoid models are replacing some fish challenge tests in early drug screening
Minimum effective dose studies reduce fish numbers by using statistical power analysis
Humane endpoints defined by validated welfare indicators end suffering before death
3Rs frameworks are increasingly required by Norwegian and Scottish research funding bodies

Welfare Considerations

Disease challenge research causes real welfare costs to fish subjects. Applying 3Rs principles systematically - replacing where possible, reducing numbers, refining to minimise suffering - makes essential salmon disease research more ethical.

What You Can Do

Support organisations developing 3Rs approaches for salmon disease challenge research
Advocate for 3Rs requirements in salmon aquaculture research funding
Engage with vaccine companies about their 3Rs commitments in challenge testing