Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Disease Challenge and 3Rs

Applying the 3Rs principles to salmon disease challenge studies can improve welfare in research settings while advancing fish health knowledge.

Key Facts

Challenge studies infect fish with pathogens to test vaccine or treatment efficacy
Humane endpoints - set criteria for euthanising fish before death - reduce suffering duration
In vitro alternatives can replace some fish-based challenges for preliminary screening
Smaller group sizes in well-designed studies reduce total animal use
Anaesthesia during sampling and handling reduces stress in research fish

Welfare Considerations

Salmon used in challenge studies experience deliberate infection and may suffer significant disease before study endpoints. Applying 3Rs principles - replacing fish where possible, reducing numbers, and refining methods to minimise suffering - is both an ethical obligation and increasingly required by funders and ethics committees.

What You Can Do

Support the 3Rs in aquaculture research through funding choices and advocacy
Advocate for mandatory welfare assessment in fish challenge study ethics review
Choose seafood companies investing in alternatives to challenge testing