Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Disease Prevention Biosecurity

Biosecurity in salmon farming prevents catastrophic disease outbreaks that cause mass mortality and significant welfare costs.

Key Facts

Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) is a notifiable disease causing catastrophic losses
Cardiomyopathy syndrome and heart and skeletal muscle inflammation cause cardiac disease
Biosecurity between sites includes fallowing, net cleaning, and boat disinfection
Vaccinations against ISA, pancreas disease, and bacterial pathogens reduce disease incidence
Fallowing periods between production cycles reduce pathogen carryover

Welfare Considerations

Disease outbreaks in salmon farms cause mass mortality and suffering at a scale affecting millions of individual fish. Biosecurity measures that prevent outbreak establishment are the most welfare-effective disease management approach. Vaccination programmes that reduce disease incidence protect both individual welfare and herd-level health.

What You Can Do

Support certified salmon farms with rigorous biosecurity and vaccination protocols
Choose ASC-certified salmon from farms with disease management standards
Advocate for biosecurity requirements as a welfare standard in salmon regulation