Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Hatchery Welfare Standards

Welfare standards and practices in Atlantic salmon hatcheries, covering egg incubation, alevin development, and juvenile rearing.

Key Facts

Hatchery mortality can be substantial even with good management practices
Water temperature, flow rate, and pathogen control are critical welfare parameters
Deformity rates in hatcheries indicate developmental welfare problems during incubation
Stress during early life stages has lasting effects on welfare and productivity
Accreditation schemes for hatcheries are becoming more common in major producing countries

Welfare Considerations

Hatchery welfare sets the foundation for fish welfare throughout the production cycle. Fish that develop with suboptimal water quality, high stress, or developmental problems carry welfare deficits that persist into sea phase. Hatchery standards deserve much more attention.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture certification schemes that include comprehensive hatchery welfare requirements
Advocate for mandatory hatchery welfare monitoring and reporting
Choose salmon from farms with certified hatchery welfare programs