Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Lice Biological Control

Biological control of sea lice using cleaner fish in salmon aquaculture and welfare implications for both species.

Key Facts

Lumpfish and wrasse are used as cleaner fish to control sea lice on salmon
Cleaner fish welfare was largely overlooked until welfare research highlighted problems
Lumpfish can be farmed to high welfare standards with appropriate enrichment
Wild wrasse capture for use on farms raises welfare and conservation concerns
Cleaner fish mortality is high in some farms, raising welfare and economic concerns

Welfare Considerations

Cleaner fish welfare requires equal consideration to salmon welfare, and investment in high-welfare lumpfish production reduces both salmon lice burden and cleaner fish suffering.

What You Can Do

Advocate for cleaner fish welfare standards as part of salmon aquaculture regulation
Support research into welfare-friendly cleaner fish production methods
Choose salmon from farms using responsibly produced cleaner fish