Daily checks and CCTV coverage, new RSPCA Assured standards for farmed Atlantic salmon

RSPCA Assured has announced over 300 new standards and amendments for farmed Atlantic salmon that will be introduced in May 2024. To elaborate on this RSPCA Assured has consulted agents of the farming industry and stakeholders.

Some of the new standards consist of the introduction of non-medicinal treatment standards for sea lice and gill disease, the requirement for CCTV coverage - i.e., video surveillance - for the entire slaughter process, and daily checks for sick or dying fish in all tanks and enclosures.

Finally, the use of antibiotics on-farm must now be reviewed annually or at the end of a production cycle. Also, when it is required an action plan should be elaborated for reducing the use of antibiotics.

Regarding this, Sean Black, Senior Scientific Officer and aquaculture specialist at the RSPCA, said: "The new farmed Atlantic salmon standards will be a huge step forward for fish welfare and among other changes, include pioneering new standards for non-medicinal treatments for sea lice and gill disease."

"These standards include the need to risk assess the impact of treatments on their welfare, the requirement to record, categorize and monitor all mortality causes and reduce transport stocking density," he added.

Changing the salmon industry for the past 20 years

The RSPCA welfare standards have allowed the transformation across the entire salmon industry for over two decades. The majority of the farms that have adopted those standards are in Scotland.

"We know all RSPCA Assured members want the best for the animals in their care and we hope that the new standards will help them to achieve their higher welfare goals," Black noted.

In addition, he thanked all RSPCA Assured members, veterinarians and fish health professionals, academics, industry experts, and others "who work with us to improve farmed animal welfare."