Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment approaches for farmed Atlantic salmon and evidence for welfare benefits.

Key Facts

Farmed salmon in net pens have restricted environments compared to wild counterparts
Current enrichment for salmon is minimal in most commercial systems
Current enrichment research includes depth variation and current complexity
Salmon show preference for heterogeneous environments in experimental settings
Enrichment research for fish is significantly less advanced than for mammals and birds

Welfare Considerations

Environmental enrichment for farmed salmon is an emerging welfare priority, and investment in research and application could benefit the welfare of billions of fish.

What You Can Do

Support research into salmon environmental enrichment
Advocate for enrichment requirements in salmon welfare certification standards
Choose salmon from farms committed to investing in environmental enrichment