Husbandry practices
RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantic salmon 13 September 2015
* indicates an amendment
HP 5.11 Discharges which do not entail the use of moving bulkheads must have the ability to trim the wellboat during
the final stages of the discharge to prevent compromising the welfare of the last fish.
Ideally, all loading and discharges should be undertaken in the presence of site staff to ensure an
effective handover of welfare responsibility.
HP 5.12 The maximum stocking density in the well must be based on the liveweight of the fish as follows:
Liveweight of fish (kg) Maximum stocking density (kg/m
3)
5.0 125
4.0 110
3.5 100
3.0 90
2.0 75
1.0 60
0.1 45
HP 5.13 The water quality, husbandry, biosecurity and records kept must conform to those as per the wellboat
harvesting standards.
HP 5.14 There must be a site grading plan for inspection.
Pushing/towing enclosures
HP 6.1 The speed of pushing must be suitable for the size of the fish.
HP 6.2 Nets must be tensioned to avoid the problems associated with the nets bagging, which could compromise
fish welfare.
HP 6.3 Nets must be clean before they are considered for pushing.
HP 6.4 There must be a person on the enclosure monitoring the behaviour of the fish to ensure their welfare.
HP 6.5 There must be clear communication between the skipper and the person on the enclosure.
HP 6.6 The speed of the pushing must not be faster than the speed of the swimming fish.
HP 6.7 Extreme care must be taken to avoid pushing the enclosure through a fluther of jellyfish or algal blooms.
Protection from other animals
HP 7.1 Humane precautions must be taken to protect salmon from other animals that could cause them harm,
including bringing in disease.
HP 7.2 The producer must:
a) use all reasonable non-lethal methods of control to protect fish from other animals
b) detail the methods used in the other animal control section of the Environmental Action Plan.
HP 7.3 The primary means of protecting the fish must be through physical exclusion, by denying other animal's
access to tanks and enclosures.
i