Aquaculture

Farmed Salmon Lice Monitoring and Welfare Standards

Sea lice monitoring protocols for farmed salmon and welfare standards for lice management.

Key Facts

Sea lice monitoring is mandatory in Norway with legal thresholds triggering treatment
0.5 adult female lice per fish is a commonly used treatment threshold
Lice cause skin damage, secondary infection, and significant welfare cost at high levels
Digital counting of lice using cameras is being trialled as an alternative to manual counting
Area-based lice management coordinates treatment across neighbouring farms

Welfare Considerations

Sea lice monitoring is essential to prevent welfare harm from heavy burdens, and welfare-based thresholds provide a welfare-protective framework for treatment decisions.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory lice monitoring requirements in salmon aquaculture regulation
Choose salmon from farms with published lice level monitoring data
Advocate for welfare-based lice thresholds in aquaculture welfare standards