Salvelinus alpinus alpinus

WelfareScore | farm

Li1  ❘  Po1  ❘  Ce2

Likelihood

Potential

Certainty

Salvelinus alpinus alpinus is a highly plastic and very resilient freshwater fish. It is thus appealing for farming, but there are several issues in welfare that need improvement as well as many aspects of its biology that remain understudied. Despite its plasticity, spatial needs in farming systems are not met. Stationary morphs should be more suitable for farming. Spawning induction is highly invasive and the rearing environment should be improved, and proper attention should be given to its feeding needs (it is sually reared on diets formulated for either rainbow trout or Atlantic salmon) and fish sources should be replaced with sustainable sources. Stress responses to common farming practices are not known, and a humane stunning and slaughter protocol needs to be established.