Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Lice Biological Control Advanced

Advanced biological control using cleaner fish represents a welfare-positive alternative to chemical lice treatments in salmon farming.

Key Facts

Wrasse and lumpfish cleaner fish remove sea lice from salmon in sea cages
Wild-caught wrasse are supplemented by hatchery-reared fish as demand exceeds wild supply
Cleaner fish welfare requires appropriate shelter, substrate, and disease management
Lumpfish produced in hatcheries have better welfare traceability than wild-caught wrasse
Biological control reduces chemical treatment frequency and associated handling stress for salmon

Welfare Considerations

Biological control of sea lice represents a welfare improvement for salmon by reducing chemical treatment frequency and the associated crowding and handling stress. However, cleaner fish welfare must also be considered - wrasse and lumpfish experience their own welfare challenges including predation by salmon, disease, and inadequate shelter. A holistic biological control welfare assessment must consider both salmon and cleaner fish welfare simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture standards requiring cleaner fish welfare alongside salmon welfare
Advocate for hatchery-reared cleaner fish standards that minimise handling stress
Choose certified salmon from farms with integrated lice management including biological control