A Review of Factors Affecting Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Welfare in Australia and Beyond

With the increasingly global scale and scope of aquaculture, the need to match this development with improvements in fish welfare is a central societal and industry goal. We provide a comprehensive assessment of the farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) literature with targeted examples focusing on Atlantic salmon farmed in Tasmania, Australia. We synthesise insights from both small- and industry-scale perspectives, highlighting other reviews that provide discussions of particular sub-areas of farmed salmon research. We focus on recent advances and improved methods for farmed Atlantic salmon handling and management, behaviour, health issues and breeding. We also address wildlife interactions resulting from fish farming, as well as future research directions and system development. This review can serve as the basis for the development of aquaculture management guidelines that place individual fish welfare as a primary goal.