Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Disease Challenge Research Welfare

Challenge studies that deliberately infect salmon with pathogens to test vaccines must meet rigorous welfare standards to minimise suffering.

Key Facts

Challenge studies are essential for validating salmon vaccines before commercial use
Fish experience disease progression including lethargy, appetite loss, and respiratory distress
Humane endpoints set at defined disease scores prevent unnecessary suffering duration
Smaller group sizes in well-designed studies reduce total fish use
Anaesthesia and sedation during sampling reduce handling stress in research fish

Welfare Considerations

Deliberately infecting fish with pathogens causes real suffering - the same disease they experience in commercial settings but under controlled conditions with observation. Applying strict 3Rs principles including minimising group sizes, using anaesthesia for handling, and implementing humane endpoints reduces suffering while maintaining research validity. Ethics committee oversight must be robust and welfare-informed.

What You Can Do

Support the NC3Rs aquaculture welfare research programme
Advocate for mandatory welfare assessment in fish challenge study ethics review
Choose seafood from companies investing in alternatives to challenge testing methods