Overview of amoebic gill disease welfare in farmed salmon and management approaches.
Amoebic gill disease welfare in farmed salmon involves both the welfare harm from gill disease itself and the welfare costs of freshwater treatment. Gill damage from AGD compromises respiratory function causing welfare compromise through hypoxia. Freshwater bathing treatment causes handling stress. The connection between warming sea temperatures and AGD risk means climate change is an emerging salmon welfare threat. Genetic resistance research offers a potentially welfare-positive prevention approach that reduces treatment frequency.