Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Welfare at Harvest Best Practice

Harvest welfare practices for Atlantic salmon have improved significantly with wider adoption of electrical stunning before slaughter.

Key Facts

Electrical stunning renders salmon insensible within seconds when correctly applied
Pre-crowding of fish before harvest causes acute stress that should be minimised
On-boat stunning allows processing at sea, reducing transport time
Norway's regulatory framework requires pre-slaughter stunning for Atlantic salmon
Correctly stunned fish should show no conscious response before killing

Welfare Considerations

Harvest is the most welfare-critical moment in a salmon's life. The transition from live fish to insensible and dead should be as rapid as possible. Electrical stunning best practice - correct current parameters, adequate duration, confirmed insensibility - provides the most welfare-protective slaughter method currently available at scale.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon explicitly labelled as stunned before slaughter
Support ASC certification that includes slaughter welfare requirements
Advocate for mandatory pre-slaughter stunning in all salmon-producing countries