Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Salmon Environmental Welfare 2026

Environmental conditions in salmon sea cages directly determine welfare outcomes across multiple dimensions. Water temperature, oxygen, salinity, and current conditions all affect salmon health, comfort, and behaviour.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon require cool, well-oxygenated water with temperatures below 18C
Rising sea temperatures from climate change are creating thermal stress in Norwegian and Scottish farms
Harmful algal blooms cause gill damage and mass mortality events in sea cage farms
Optimal current flow ensures waste dispersal and prevents localised hypoxia
Environmental monitoring technology now enables real-time welfare condition tracking

Welfare Considerations

Environmental conditions in sea cages are outside farmer control in ways that land-based systems are not, creating inherent welfare risks from climate-driven changes. The welfare implications of warming seas, more frequent harmful algal blooms, and shifting current patterns demand both farm-level adaptation and broader climate action.

What You Can Do

Support regulatory frameworks requiring environmental welfare monitoring for salmon farms
Advocate for climate action to protect marine environments used for aquaculture
Choose salmon certified under standards that include environmental welfare assessment