Assessing the welfare of adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar during commercial live-haul transport ...

• Main Author: Tang, Stephen
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2008
• Subjects: Pacific; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0066293; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0066293

I used physiological stress as in indicator of welfare of adult Atlantic salmon during transport onboard a commercial live-haul vessel, the Sterling Carrier under actual operational conditions. This state-of-the-art vessel incorporates both flow-thru (open-hold) and re-circulating (closed-hold) live-hold configurations to safely transport fish under diverse environmental conditions. Measurements of bulk oxygen uptake rates (bulk MO₂) for fish masses ranging from 20 to 40 tons during open-hold transports (n=89) revealed a slightly elevated bulk MO₂ that was comparable to routine bulk MO₂ measured in adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar held in large tanks and also to resting MO₂ of individual Pacific salmonids measured in swim-respirometers. These results indicate a low level of stress, and suggest that open-hold live-haul transport aboard the Sterling Carrier does not compromise fish welfare. While closed-hold transport protects fish from poor environments, water quality conditions progressively deteriorate as ...