Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment for farmed salmon can reduce stress and improve welfare, though practical implementation in sea cages faces specific challenges.

Key Facts

Wild salmon experience complex, variable environments with current, structure, and prey
Circular sea cages provide uniform environments with little structural complexity
Lighting programmes can improve salmon distribution and reduce aggressive competition
Current generation in sea cages using underwater propellers improves swimming behaviour
Environmental enrichment reduces cortisol and improves immune function in research settings

Welfare Considerations

Farmed salmon live in impoverished environments relative to their wild counterparts. Even minor environmental improvements - reducing current uniformity, adding structural features, optimising lighting - can reduce stress and improve welfare. The challenge is implementing enrichment at commercial scale in sea cage systems while maintaining production efficiency.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture welfare research including environmental enrichment for salmon
Choose certified salmon from companies investing in welfare improvement research
Advocate for enrichment standards in sea cage licensing as evidence develops