Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Hatchery Water Quality Welfare

Hatchery water quality directly determines neonatal salmon welfare - ammonia, dissolved oxygen, and temperature management are foundational welfare parameters.

Key Facts

Total ammonia nitrogen above 0.025 mg/L NH3 causes gill damage in salmon eggs and fry
Dissolved oxygen saturation must be maintained above 80% for good fry welfare
Temperature management within optimal range (8-14 C) minimises stress and maximises immune development
UV sterilisation of incoming water reduces pathogen exposure in the most vulnerable life stage
Recirculating hatchery systems enable precise water quality control independent of source water quality

Welfare Considerations

Hatchery water quality management is foundational salmon welfare - conditions during the first weeks of life establish immune function, growth potential, and welfare trajectory for the entire production cycle. Precision water quality management is a welfare investment that pays dividends throughout the fish's life.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes requiring documented water quality monitoring in salmon hatcheries
Advocate for mandatory hatchery welfare standards as part of salmon farming regulation
Choose salmon from farms with certified hatchery welfare standards and published water quality data