Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Disease Challenge Welfare

Welfare in salmon disease challenge studies requires specific protocols that minimise suffering while maintaining scientific validity.

Key Facts

Challenge studies infect fish with pathogens to test vaccine or treatment efficacy
Disease progression causes 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 by 30-50%
Anaesthesia during sampling reduces handling stress and cortisol response in research fish

Welfare Considerations

Fish used in challenge studies experience deliberate infection causing genuine suffering equivalent to the disease they are exposed to. The welfare obligation to minimise this suffering through 3Rs application is both ethical and increasingly required by funders and ethics committees. Studies designed with welfare in mind - including validated humane endpoints, minimal group sizes, and anaesthesia during sampling - produce better science alongside better welfare.

What You Can Do

Support NC3Rs funding for aquaculture welfare refinement research
Advocate for mandatory welfare assessment in fish challenge study ethics review processes
Choose seafood from companies investing in alternatives to extensive challenge testing