Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Lice Biological Control Advanced

Advanced approaches to biological sea lice control using wrasse and lumpfish cleaner fish, with welfare considerations.

Key Facts

Lumpfish have higher survival rates in sea cages than wrasse and are increasingly preferred
Cleaner fish welfare requires dedicated feed, shelter, and monitoring separate from salmon
Lumpfish from hatcheries have better survival than wild-caught wrasse
Cleaner fish welfare standards have improved significantly in Norway and UK since 2020
Biological control reduces chemical lice treatment frequency when cleaner fish are healthy and effective

Welfare Considerations

Cleaner fish welfare is inseparable from their effectiveness as a biological lice control tool. Stressed, poorly fed cleaner fish do not clean salmon effectively and die early. Investing in cleaner fish welfare delivers both ethical and operational benefits to salmon farms.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture standards that include dedicated cleaner fish welfare requirements
Advocate for cleaner fish welfare to be assessed in salmon certification schemes
Choose salmon from farms with documented cleaner fish welfare programs