RSPCA welfare standards for FARMED ATLANTIC SALMON SEPTEMBER2015

Transcription

1 RSPCA welfare standards for FARMED ATLANTIC SALMON SEPTEMBER2015

2 2015 RSPCA No part of ths publcaton may be reproduced, stored n a retreval system, or transmtted n any form or by any means, electronc, mechancal, photocopyng, recordng or otherwse, wthout the pror permsson of the copyrght owner. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon September 2015

3 Contents Introducton Management 1 Manager and stock-keeper tranng... 1 Inspecton and records... 2 Health 4 Casualty slaughter... 5 Medcnal products... 5 Sea lce... 6 Mutlatons... 7 Husbandry practces 8 Handlng... 8 Crowdng/splttng to reduce stockng densty/bomass... 9 Passve gradng Hand/manual gradng Wellboat gradng Pushng/towng enclosures Protecton from other anmals Genetc selecton and modfcaton Equpment 16 Enclosure/tank constructon, stuaton and mantenance Tanks Enclosures Feedng 17 Food content Feedng methods Fastng Envronmental qualty 19 External water qualty (seawater/freshwater loch) Lghtng Clmate change and anmal welfare Envronmental mpact 20 Escapees Extraneous speces Fallowng Aesthetc RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon () September 2015

4 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) 21 General Ova Mult-level hatchery systems Alevns Fry Parr Freshwater lochs Pre-smoltfcaton Vaccnaton Auto-vaccnaton Trplod fsh Seawater 32 Seawater stockng densty Transport 33 General transport Ste staff responsble for movng fsh Transport staff Fry Transport Road Transport Helcopter transfer Wellboat transport-smolts Seawater ste staff (recevng) Harvest wellboats Dead haul wellboats Slaughter/kllng 43 Appendx 1 45 RSPCA Veternary Health and Welfare Plan gudance notes Appendx 2 65 Crowd ntensty scale Index 67 RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon () September 2015

5 Introducton The RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon (Salmo salar) are used to provde the only RSPCA-approved scheme for the rearng, handlng, transport and slaughter/kllng of farmed Atlantc salmon. The standards cover the two dstnct phases of farmng (freshwater and marne farmng). They take account of legslaton, offcal codes of practce, scentfc research, veternary advce, recommendatons of the Farm Anmal Welfare Commttee (FAWC) and the practcal experence of the aquaculture ndustry. However, dffcultes arse n specfyng detals n relaton to several ssues (for example, acceptable maxmum stockng denstes) due to the lack of scentfc research examnng fsh welfare under dfferent commercal systems. It s mportant to recognse therefore that the followng requrements are made pendng the relevant scentfc research. To ths end, the farmer s expected to mantan hgher welfare standards at all tmes and demonstrate commtment to contnual mprovement as advances n knowledge and technology allow. Scentfc evdence from behavoural, physologcal and anatomcal studes shows that t s hghly lkely that fsh feel pan. Fsh also have a smlar stress response system to mammals. It s essental that staff managng farmed fsh are aware of the mportance of welfare as an ntegral part of producton. The standards are based upon the Fve Freedoms as defned by FAWC (hence the name Freedom Food see page v). Although these freedoms defne deal states, they provde a comprehensve framework for the assessment of anmal welfare on-farm, n transt and at the place of slaughter/kllng, as well as representng an mportant element of farm assurance requrements. These Fve Freedoms are relevant to fsh welfare and should be consdered n relaton to husbandry practce. These Freedoms are shown n bold below, and the wordng has been adapted wth supportng text to reflect how they relate to fsh welfare. Freedom from thrst, hunger and malnutrton by access to an approprate hgh qualty det and an envronment n whch flud and electrolyte balance can be mantaned. Freedom from dscomfort by mantanng the water and envronment at an approprate temperature, flow rate and chemcal composton and provdng well desgned enclosures and tanks wth shadng f necessary. Freedom from pan, njury or dsease by avodng stuatons whch are lkely to cause pan, njury or dsease, by rapd dagnoss and treatment of dsease and humane transport and kllng. Freedom to express normal behavour by provdng the approprate space and envronment for the speces. Freedom from fear and dstress by mnmsng stressful stuatons such as poor handlng or predator attack as far as possble, by makng gradual changes to husbandry and water qualty, and by humane transport and slaughter. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon () September 2015

6 The Fve Freedoms wll be better provded for f those who have care of lvestock practse/provde: carng and responsble plannng and management sklled, knowledgeable and conscentous stockmanshp approprate envronmental desgn consderate handlng and transport humane slaughter. Gude to the use of the RSPCA welfare standards () The numbered requrements are the standards, all of whch must be compled wth. () Boxed sectons (ndcated by ) gve addtonal nformaton, ncludng: provdng the reasonng behnd a standard, expandng on a standard, statng how a standard can/wll be assessed and/or hghlghtng areas where the standards wll be revewed n the future. () It s expected that all relevant UK legslaton regardng farm anmal husbandry and welfare on-farm, durng transport, and at the abattor, wll be fully mplemented n addton to the RSPCA welfare standards. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon (v) September 2015

7 RSPCA Farm Anmals Department The RSPCA s Farm Anmals Department develops the RSPCA welfare standards for farm anmals. These detaled documents are ntended to represent good practce n the care and welfare of farm anmals. The RSPCA works to contnually develop and mprove the welfare standards usng a range of nformaton, ncludng the latest scentfc research and practcal farmng experence. We regularly consult wth other anmal welfare and agrcultural scentsts, veternary surgeons, and farmng ndustry representatves. Ths helps to ensure that the RSPCA welfare standards contnue to be at the forefront of farm anmal care and welfare, and are also achevable on commercal farms. The standards also take account of feedback from RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcers, who carry out montorng of the Freedom Food scheme, Freedom Food Assessors who audt scheme members, and the scheme members themselves. We always value constructve feedback and deas for mprovement from those who are mplementng the RSPCA welfare standards. Comments/feedback can be dscussed wth: a) RSPCA Farm Anmals Department scentfc staff, by contactng them on the below detals: Address: Farm Anmals Department RSPCA Wlberforce Way Southwater Horsham West Sussex RH13 9RS Telephone: Emal: farm-anmals@rspca.org.uk b) RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcers, who can dscuss any ssues durng farm vsts and offer advce, and can provde feedback to the RSPCA Farm Anmals Department scentfc staff. Freedom Food Ltd Freedom Food s the RSPCA s farm assurance and food labellng scheme. Freedom Food assesses and approves farms, haulers and abattors that meet all of the applcable RSPCA welfare standards. Processors and packers must also apply for scheme membershp for traceablty and lcence fee purposes. Only approved supplers and outlets usng approved supplers may use the RSPCA Assured certfcaton mark subject to traceablty and lcence fee. Membershp s subject to an annual membershp fee and successful assessment as well as rsk based montorng vsts by Farm Lvestock Offcers from the RSPCA s Farm Anmals Department. Freedom Food s a charty n ts own rght and not for proft. Any surplus goes back nto mprovng farm anmal welfare. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon (v) September 2015

8 Management The atttudes and competence of staff are a vtal factor determnng whether hgh standards of fsh welfare can be acheved. It s the responsblty of management to ensure there s a welfare ethos among staff. It s essental that stock-keepers are sutably traned and experenced, and are able to recognse ndcators of poor welfare at an early stage. They need to have a good workng knowledge of the husbandry system used and the anmals under ther care. M 1.1 All records and other documentaton that the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon requre the producer to keep and mantan, must be made avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor and RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. Manager and stock-keeper tranng M 2.1 Managers must ensure that all stock-keepers: a) have a copy of the current verson of the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon at each ste b) are famlar wth ts content c) understand and apply ts content d) have a), b) and c) as part of ther nducton program. M 2.2 Managers must: a) ensure that all staff workng wth stock are traned and competent n aspects of fsh husbandry and welfare, relevant to ther dutes b) have attended a recognsed fsh welfare course. Examples of recognsed courses nclude the NAFC Marne Centre Fsh Welfare Tranng course and the Meat Tranng Councl/Fsh Vet Group course. There s also a fsh farm personnel tranng course run by Vet-Aqua Internatonal n Ireland. M 2.3 M 2.4 M 2.5 * Wrtten records of staff tranng must be mantaned. An adequate number of experenced staff must be avalable to deal suffcently quckly wth any problems that arse. Managers must: a) develop and mplement plans and precautons to cope wth emergences such as fre, leaks, problems wth transportaton, etc. b) provde an emergency acton board, sted n a promnent poston, whch must nclude: ) approprate emergency contact numbers ) a map grd reference and postcode for the locaton of the unt c) ensure that all relevant staff members are fully conversant wth the procedures whch have to be mplemented f there s a fsh escape ncdent, ncludng the plans for the recapture of escaped fsh. M 2.6 Stock-keepers must be able to demonstrate ther profcency n procedures that have the potental to cause pan or dstress ncludng nettng or other handlng, crowdng and euthanasa. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 1 September 2015

9 Management M 2.7 Stock-keepers must be able to recognse ndcators of poor welfare n fsh ncludng abnormal behavour, physcal njury and symptoms of dsease. Inspecton and records M 3.1 Any welfare problems seen durng an nspecton by the producer must be dealt wth approprately and wthout delay. Welfare problems of suffcent severty that they should have been notced on prevous nspectons and dealt wth, shall be taken by the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer as evdence of neglgence of dutes by the stock-keeper. M 3.2 Fsh must be nspected at regular ntervals, at least twce daly, weather permttng. It s the responsblty of the person carng for the fsh to ensure that sutably regular and thorough nspectons are beng made. M 3.3 * Full records must be mantaned of nspectons, ncludng: a) the tme and date of nspecton b) the name(s) and sgnature(s) of the person(s) conductng the nspecton for each group of anmals c) detals of any problems dentfed and any actons taken ncludng those relatng to morbund/njured/damaged fsh, where the reason for the problem must be recorded. M 3.4 M 3.5 M 3.6 * If problems are dentfed durng an nspecton, the stock-keeper must act promptly to dscover the cause and take remedal acton, n consultaton wth a veternary surgeon when necessary. Hgh standards of bosecurty must be mantaned to avod the spread of dseases between dfferent populatons of fsh, as specfed n a wrtten polcy, contaned wthn the Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (VHWP) (see H 1.1). Removal of dead/morbund fsh must occur frequently: a) at least twce a week, unless adverse weather condtons mean ths would nvolve danger to personnel b) at least daly for land based systems. M 3.7 The cause of death of all fsh must be classfed usng the categores developed n the VHWP (see H 1.1). Veternary advce should be sought f the cause of death s not clear accordng to the crtera dentfed n the VHWP (see H 1.1). M 3.8 M 3.9 M 3.10 Relevant staff must demonstrate competence n nterpretaton of mortalty records. Any equpment defects must be mmedately rectfed or, f ths s not possble, alternatve measures must be taken to safeguard fsh welfare. Alternatve measures relatng to M 3.9 must be wrtten nto the Emergency Acton Plan secton of the VHWP (see H 1.1) and all staff must be made aware of them. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 2 September 2015

10 Management M 3.11 M 3.12 Stock-keepers must be able to recognse: a) vsual ndcators of poor water b) behavoural ndcators of poor water qualty. The followng accurate and up-to-date records must be mantaned: a) detals of orgn of stock, allowng traceablty b) age of fsh c) control of other anmals d) crowdng and gradng records e) calbraton records f) numbers and weghts of fsh n each tank/enclosure g) estmated current stockng denstes n each tank/enclosure h) where approprate, target age and weght at whch fsh wll be transferred to sea or slaughtered (n order to predct fnal stockng denstes) ) detals of fsh and equpment nspectons j) daly and cumulatve mortalty (reasons stated) k) daly and cumulatve cullng (reasons stated) l) feed consumpton m) detals of any health problems n) detals of any medcaton/vaccnatons appled o) records of smoltfcaton montorng p) SEPA/other regulatory correspondence q) records of water qualty tests as approprate to the system r) records of net nspectons and mantenance s) tranng records t) full detals of fsh movements. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 3 September 2015

11 Health Fsh need to be protected from pan, njury and dsease, through good management and husbandry practce, and by rapd detecton and treatment of dsease. All producers need to develop a health plan n consultaton wth a desgnated veternary surgeon. Dsease s a major cause of poor welfare and mortalty n farmed salmon. Further, wld fsh may be susceptble to dsease agents carred by farmed fsh. Therefore t s essental to take all reasonable steps to mnmse the lkelhood of dsease outbreaks n the farmed stock. H 1.1 * H 1.2 A ste specfc Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (VHWP) must be drawn up, mplemented and updated regularly at the begnnng of every cycle. The VHWP (see H 1.1) must nclude future husbandry plans, rsk assessment, montorng and control of fsh health and dseases. The Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (VHWP) forms a vtally mportant part of the RSPCA welfare standards wth regard to mantanng the health and welfare of lvestock on-farm. The wrtten VHWP s agreed between a named veternary surgeon and the producer and s then frequently updated followng regular vsts from the veternary surgeon to the farm. The RSPCA has developed gudance notes for producers and veternary surgeons as to how the VHWP should be formulated to ensure hgh standards of health are mantaned. These gudance notes are avalable n Appendx 1. Should you or your veternary surgeon requre assstance wth the formulaton of your VHWP, please refer to these gudance notes or talk to an RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. H 1.3 H 1.4 All relevant legslaton regardng notfable dseases must be understood and adhered to. There must be no recurrng physcal damage occurrng on fsh attrbutable to features of ther envronment, husbandry procedures or unrecognsed dsease challenge. Recurrng physcal damage s that seen on a number of fsh, wth suffcent smlarty to suggest a common cause, for example poor tank or enclosure desgn, methods of handlng or a husbandry procedure. Dfferent types of physcal damage may also suggest a common cause. H 1.5 H 1.6 * H 1.7 Fsh condton must be contnuously montored for sgns of dsease or problems wth the envronment or handlng practces. If a problem s dentfed, the VHWP (see H 1.1) must be revsed wthout delay to ensure that the welfare of the fsh s not compromsed. Any fsh sufferng from overt physcal damage, or dsease symptoms, must be: a) segregated b) treated/humanely euthanased wthout delay. H 1.8 If the mortalty level s above 0.5% a week (excludng pre-swm up fry) the desgnated vet or traned and competent fsh bologst/fsh health manager must be notfed and an nvestgaton made as approprate. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 4 September 2015

12 Health Casualty slaughter H 2.1 H 2.2 * H H 2.3 H 2.4 Any serously sck or njured fsh, or fsh found not to be recoverng, must be humanely klled wthout delay. Overdose of a sutable anaesthetc (as specfed n the VHWP) usng mmerson n a soluton of the agent, must be used for cullng fsh that are under 5 grams. For fsh durng the seawater stage, a non-recoverable percussve blow to the head, usng a prest or mechancal percussve devce, of suffcent force to render the fsh mmedately nsensble, can be used for emergency kllng nstead of anaesthetc overdose. Under no crcumstances must serously njured or sck fsh be left to de n ar. Cullng of sck or njured fsh must only be conducted by sutably traned and competent people. Medcnal products H 3.1 H 3.2 H 3.3 H 3.4 Hgh qualty management and husbandry standards must be employed n order to mnmse the need for therapeutants. Treatment must only be gven when the welfare of the stock may otherwse be threatened (as advsed by a veternary surgeon). Prophylactc use of veternary medcnal products, where no known dsease problems exst, s prohbted (except vaccnes as agreed wth the veternary surgeon). In cases where medcaton s requred for welfare reasons, treatments must be used n accordance wth current legslaton and the desgnated veternary surgeon's recommendatons. It s recommended that producers obtan, read and where approprate, apply the advce contaned wthn the latest versons of the gudelnes on Responsble use of antmcrobals n fsh producton and the Responsble use of vaccnes and vaccnaton n fsh ssued by the Responsble Use of Medcnes n Agrculture (RUMA) allance ( H 3.5 Any veternary medcnes used must be lcensed n the UK for use n Atlantc salmon or authorsed under an Anmal Test Certfcate or an Anmal Test Exempton Certfcate ssue. The RSPCA recognses that the welfare of farmed fsh may be adversely affected by the lmted avalablty of vaccnes or therapeutc medcnes approved for the treatment of fsh. In exceptonal crcumstances, on the advce of the desgnated veternary surgeon, specfc products lcensed n the UK for use n other food producng speces can be admnstered (followng the requrements of the cascade prncple) as detaled n the Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (see H 1.1), provdng that a vald dscharge consent s held from the approprate Government body. All proven medcatons should be made avalable to ad dsease treatment as advsed by the desgnated veternary surgeon. H 3.6 The medcaton must only be admnstered to fsh: a) by sutably traned staff b) strctly n accordance wth the nstructons prescrbed, whch must be on ste before the treatment commences. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 5 September 2015

13 Health H 3.7 H 3.8 H H 3.9 H H * The potental for therapeutc agents to affect the envronment, both locally and more wdely, must be gven full consderaton, and all relevant legslaton and Codes of Practce must be adhered to. A vald sngle pont source lcense must be held, pror to commencement of treatment, for all medcnes admnstered. Veternary medcne wthdrawal perods must be strctly adhered to. Veternary products must be properly labelled and stored approprately. Records must be kept of all treatments. Any treatments whch have clearly not worked, or have produced an adverse reacton n the treated fsh or farm staff that have come nto contact wth the medcne must be: a) recorded n the medcne record book or the Veternary Medcnes Drectorate (VMD) adverse reacton form b) reported to the farm veternary surgeon and health manager. H 3.10 All farms must have a wrtten pharmaceutcal waste polcy. Sea lce The problems nvolved wth avalablty of effectve treatments for sea lce nfestatons are recognsed. The welfare and envronmental mpact of treatments must be gven full consderaton. The RSPCA wll montor the stuaton, and revew new technology and research as t develops. H 4.1 H 4.2 H 4.3 H 4.4 H 4.5 Farms must take all reasonable steps to mnmse the gravd lce populaton, as per the requrements of the Aquaculture and Fsheres (Scotland) Act Stock-keepers must be able to recognse symptoms of lce nfestaton. Separaton of year classes and fallowng of stes must be practsed to help control sea lce populatons as detaled n the Envronmental Impact Plan (see ENV 1.1). The producer must, through documented evdence, demonstrate that any co-operatve management schemes between operatons n the same loch/area amed at reducng sea lce populatons have been entered nto. Sea lce preventon and treatment programmes must be drawn-up wth the desgnated veternary surgeon and fully detaled n the Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (see H 1.1). RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 6 September 2015

14 Health H 4.6 * The bologcal control of sea lce usng cleaner fsh such as Wrasse (Labrdae spp.) and lumpsuckers (Cyclopterdae spp.) s not permtted wthout permsson from the RSPCA. Requests for permsson to use cleaner fsh must be submtted n wrtng to the RSPCA Farm Anmals Department. The RSPCA s revewng the ongong wrasse tral results, n order to assess the feasblty of ntroducng ts draft wrasse standards nto the man body of the document n the future. * The followng areas of fsh husbandry affectng the welfare of the fsh are consdered to be mportant areas to develop wthn the standards for wrasse/cleaner fsh: dets and supplementary feedng housng envronment/enrchment health plannng/dsease control/vaccnaton hatchery management juvenle/ongrowng management transport humane kllng re-use/cullng of cleaner fsh at the end of the cycle handlng procedures measurable and meanngful welfare ndcators for the varous speces growth rates optmal cleaner fsh stockng denstes/stockng densty strateges a level number of fsh n the cages versus a ht squad approach tranng sentnel fsh to eat lce so that others learn from them. H 4.7 * H * Sea lce damage to fsh must be recorded durng lce counts. Ths must nclude: a) condton of fsh good/thn b) ste of lesons c) skn condton d) fsh behavour lvely/morbund. Any fsh wth severe physcal damage caused by sea lce grazng must be removed and dspatched humanely wthout delay. Mutlatons H 5.1 H 5.2 Mutlatons nvolvng the removal of senstve tssue are prohbted. Markng methods that cause dstress or njury to fsh must not be used. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 7 September 2015

15 Husbandry practces Hgh standards of husbandry need to be mantaned at all tmes wth the welfare of stock beng consdered as a prorty. Anmals need to be handled n a consderate and sklled manner. Carng and responsble plannng and management need to be employed to safeguard welfare durng essental procedures. Handlng HP 1.1 HP 1.2 HP 1.3 HP 1.4 Removal from water and handlng must only be carred out when absolutely necessary. If fsh must be handled: a) adequate support must be gven to the body b) lve fsh must never be held by the tal only or thrown on sold objects. Tme out of water must: a) be kept to the mnmum possble b) never exceed 15 seconds for a lve fsh (unless anaesthetsed). Where pumps and ppes are used these must: a) not unnecessarly stress fsh b) be free from sharp protrusons, knks and bends that are lkely to njure fsh. HP * Wherever ppes are used, there must be a humane method n place to ensure that all fsh have been removed from the ppe at the end of the operaton or f equpment fals durng the process. HP 1.5 * HP 1.6 When hand nets are used they must be: a) of a sutable sze b) desgned to avod the occurrence of physcal damage c) kept clean, n good repar and dsnfected before use wth dfferent fsh populatons/tanks. Fsh must not be left to de n ar. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 8 September 2015

16 Crowdng/splttng to reduce stockng densty/bomass Husbandry practces Consderaton should be gven to stockng tanks and enclosures to fnal bomass from ther ntal stockng, so that fsh do not requre gradng or handlng at all throughout that part of the producton cycle. Optmsng husbandry practces and farmng envronments can sgnfcantly reduce the creaton of sze herarches wthn populatons, and therefore also reduce the requrement to grade. For example, evdence shows that feed dstrbuton and raton sze are extremely mportant, as s knowng how many fsh and of what sze are present n the populaton. Underfeedng quckly results n the development of a herarchy whch, f allowed to preval, can be the cause of welfare problems for some fsh. Lghtng strateges can also reduce or elmnate the need to grade maturng populatons. Sze gradng S1s early gves the opportunty to select potental grlse n the frst harvests pror to maturaton. HP 2.1 * Only the followng gradng methods are permtted: a) manual gradng usng tradtonal Y type boards b) passve gradng wth flex-panels c) automated gradng. HP 2.2 All personnel nvolved n the gradng operaton must: a) have access to a copy of the current verson of the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon b) be famlar wth ts content c) understand and be able to apply ts content. HP 2.3 All personnel workng wth, or handlng the fsh must be: a) traned and fully competent b) aware of the needs of the fsh c) aware of any rsks nvolved and the procedures to address those rsks. HP 2.4 HP 2.5 Gradng must only be performed when absolutely necessary. A wrtten gradng plan must be agreed between farm management and ste staff and/or gradng operator pror to operatons commencng. Ths plan must become a part of the VHWP (see H 1.1). RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 9 September 2015

17 Husbandry practces HP 2.6 The gradng plan must nclude: a) the reason for the need to grade b) a pre-grade rsk assessment c) the number of fsh to be graded per day d) the locaton of fsh populatons both pre- and post- grade e) the pre-grade fastng perod f) the health status of the fsh g) the equpment to be used, ncludng the type of grader h) expected tmetable for completon of the grade ) the requred number of staff and dutes to be performed j) the physcal characterstcs of the ste such as water temperature, tdes and weather condtons k) the tranng records of the gradng team l) the requrement for a post gradng health check m) post gradng mortalty records n) any relevant contngency plans o) the agreement and sgnatures of the ste manager and the person n charge of the gradng equpment. HP 2.7 HP 2.8 HP HP 2.9 HP 2.10 All gradng equpment must be desgned and mantaned n order to prevent damagng or causng stress to the fsh. Sweep nets must be of knotless constructon and of optmal desgn for the enclosure, and of an approprate mesh sze for the fsh. Sweep nets must be used to crowd a porton of the populaton rather than crowdng the whole enclosure. Only healthy fsh must be subjected to the gradng process. Pror to gradng, fsh must be fasted for the mnmum perod requred n order not to compromse ther welfare. A longer fastng perod may be requred f advsed by the veternary surgeon/anmal health manager due to sub-optmal condtons occurrng. HP 2.11 If fsh are beng returned to ther orgnal enclosure, t must be large enough to ensure the welfare of both the orgnal and returnng populatons. It s preferable to grade all populatons nto new enclosures n order to promote optmal welfare for the duraton of the grade. HP 2.12 HP 2.13 The grade must be completed n one contnuous operaton. Fsh must not be crowded for more than two hours. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 10 September 2015

18 Husbandry practces HP 2.14 No enclosure must be crowded more than twce n any one week or three tmes n any month, unless ths s requred by the desgnated veternary surgeon for fsh welfare reasons. A vsual gude and ndcator to a good crowd can be found n Appendx 2. HP 2.15 HP 2.16 HP 2.17 HP 2.18 * HP 2.19 HP 2.20 Producers must: a) humanely destroy any extraneous/non-target fsh that are present b) be aware of, and adhere to, any legslaton relatng to protected speces. Fsh must be montored throughout the operaton by a desgnated person whose responsblty t s to recognse welfare ssues and take approprate acton f necessary. Enclosure nets must be kept clean n order to avod water qualty problems durng crowdng. Oxygen levels must: a) be montored and recorded throughout all crowdng operatons (e.g. gradng, vaccnatng and treatng) b) not fall below 7mg/l, wth approprate acton taken should ths occur. Supplementary oxygen and/or aeraton must be avalable for the duraton of the crowdng procedure. Mortalty checks must be recorded as soon as possble after gradng. Pre-grade mortalty removal should be undertaken wherever possble. HP 2.21 HP 2.22 All equpment must be thoroughly cleaned and dsnfected before use and between stes. Gradng operatons must not take place f adverse weather condtons are lkely to compromse fsh welfare. Passve gradng Passve gradng s recommended where possble and practcal to do so. HP 3.1 HP 3.2 Where passve gradng s used, the sze and desgn of the gradng panel must be approprate for the sze of fsh that are to be graded, and the enclosure they are contaned wthn. The gradng panels must be pre-checked for sgns of wear before gradng commences. Hand/manual gradng HP 4.1 HP 4.2 HP 4.3 Pumps must be able to pump the requred dstance and head. The operator must be able to control the speed of the pump. All ppes must be: a) smooth wth swept bends b) of a dameter whch s approprate for the sze of the fsh, ncludng when they pass through the couplngs. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 11 September 2015

19 Husbandry practces HP 4.4 HP 4.5 HP 4.6 HP 4.7 Water must always flow through the ppework to mnmse the ncdence of scalng. The gradng table must be smooth, wth no sharp edges. Where counters are used, they must be n workng order and be ft for purpose. The sweep net/crowdng devce must: a) be of an approprate sze b) have suffcent floataton c) be constructed of knotless mesh. HP 4.8 No fsh must be out of the water for more than 15 seconds. Wellboat gradng HP 5.1 HP 5.2 HP 5.3 HP 5.4 HP 5.5 HP 5.6 HP 5.7 All wellboat crew nvolved n the gradng process must have receved the approprate welfare tranng n addton to ther martme responsbltes. There must be a nomnated person who s responsble for the care of the fsh durng the tme that they are on board. All equpment must be checked to ensure that t s workng and ft for purpose before pumpng commences. Extreme care must be taken when pumpng the fsh. The grader must be postoned so that the crew member operatng the pumps can clearly see the fsh. Graders must have safe personnel access around them to facltate routne nspecton. Returnng ppes must: a) be fully supported b) have mnmal jons c) be of suffcent length to safely return graded populatons away from the edge of the enclosure. HP 5.8 Before leavng the ste, careful nspecton and dsnfecton of the equpment must be carred out as approprate. Vacuum pumpng fsh twce wthn 24 hours s not optmal welfare practce. Consderaton and preference should be gven to the use of wellboats wth over-pressure (reverse sphon) dscharge capablty where possble. HP 5.9 Any fsh that are placed n the hold after gradng must be subjected to an addtonal welfare rsk assessment. Any addtonal fastng perod must be authorsed by the veternary surgeon or health manager. HP 5.10 Any addtonal fastng perod must be recorded n the Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (see H 1.1). RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 12 September 2015

20 Husbandry practces HP 5.11 Dscharges whch do not ental the use of movng bulkheads must have the ablty to trm the wellboat durng the fnal stages of the dscharge to prevent compromsng the welfare of the last fsh. Ideally, all loadng and dscharges should be undertaken n the presence of ste staff to ensure an effectve handover of welfare responsblty. HP 5.12 The maxmum stockng densty n the well must be based on the lveweght of the fsh as follows: Lveweght of fsh (kg) Maxmum stockng densty (kg/m 3 ) HP 5.13 HP 5.14 The water qualty, husbandry, bosecurty and records kept must conform to those as per the wellboat harvestng standards. There must be a ste gradng plan for nspecton. Pushng/towng enclosures HP 6.1 HP 6.2 HP 6.3 HP 6.4 HP 6.5 HP 6.6 HP 6.7 The speed of pushng must be sutable for the sze of the fsh. Nets must be tensoned to avod the problems assocated wth the nets baggng, whch could compromse fsh welfare. Nets must be clean before they are consdered for pushng. There must be a person on the enclosure montorng the behavour of the fsh to ensure ther welfare. There must be clear communcaton between the skpper and the person on the enclosure. The speed of the pushng must not be faster than the speed of the swmmng fsh. Extreme care must be taken to avod pushng the enclosure through a fluther of jellyfsh or algal blooms. Protecton from other anmals HP 7.1 HP 7.2 Humane precautons must be taken to protect salmon from other anmals that could cause them harm, ncludng brngng n dsease. The producer must: a) use all reasonable non-lethal methods of control to protect fsh from other anmals b) detal the methods used n the other anmal control secton of the Envronmental Acton Plan. HP 7.3 The prmary means of protectng the fsh must be through physcal excluson, by denyng other anmal s access to tanks and enclosures. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 13 September 2015

21 Husbandry practces HP 7.4 HP 7.5 * Enclosure nets must be adequately tensoned and weghted to prevent dstorton, takng nto account local condtons such as currents, tdal flows etc. Enclosure nets, ncludng any predator top nets, must be regularly checked: a) for holes and foulng, and mantaned accordngly b) for any trapped wld anmals, whch must be removed wthout delay from the tme that they are observed. HP 7.6 HP 7.7 * Removal of dead fsh must occur at least twce weekly, except when adverse weather condtons mean that ths would mean danger to personnel. Enclosures must be: a) protected usng vsble top nets whch are n a good state of repar b) of a mesh sze that does not ensnare brds. HP 7.8 HP 7.9 HP 7.10 HP 7.11 HP 7.12 Predator nets must be consdered for deployment at hgh rsk stes durng hgh rsk perods, and at other tmes as approprate f there s a rsk of an attack. Where predator nets cannot be deployed for anmal welfare reasons, the reason why must be documented and recorded. Any ste that s recognsed as havng a hgh rsk of attack or has suffered an attack n the past must have a workng Acoustc Deterrent Devce (ADD) n place. If an attack takes place on a ste wth no hstory of prevous attacks, then an ADD must be deployed wthout delay. All ADDs must be regularly servced and mantaned to ensure that they are n full workng order. ADDs should only be used whlst takng nto consderaton the potental effects they may have on other wldlfe, n partcular, cetaceans, whch may have a mgraton route nearby. The remote montorng of ADDs s avalable. The RSPCA recommends that ths s used to ensure that they are workng properly. HP * When deployed: a) the ongong operatng status of the ADD/ASD must be recorded as part of the daly ste checks b) the date of deployment of the ADD/ASD must be recorded n the VHWP (see H 1.1) c) Freedom Food members must make the records avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. HP 7.13 If an attack has taken place, the fsh must be checked for sgns of njury as a result of the attack. HP 7.14 The producer must be able to demonstrate to the Freedom Food Assessor or the RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer that all of the procedures leadng up to the pont of last resort have been moblsed. The repeated shootng of seals wthout havng deployed all of the measures leadng to a last resort scenaro, wll result n the ste beng suspended from the scheme pendng further nvestgaton. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 14 September 2015

22 Husbandry practces HP 7.15 HP 7.16 * HP 7.17 * HP 7.18 * HP 7.19 * There must be postve dentfcaton that a seal s causng the problem of fsh mortalty, or s the cause of compromsed fsh welfare. The humane dspatch of any seal must only be undertaken as a last resort n order to protect the welfare of the fsh and where all non-lethal methods have faled to do so. Before the humane cullng of seals as a last resort can be consdered, the followng must have been mplemented: a) nets are adequately tensoned b) top nets secured to deny ngress by predators nto the enclosure c) dead fsh have been regularly removed d) where approprate, ADDs/ASDs have been moblsed and are workng properly e) predator nets/curtans/screens have been deployed where t s approprate to do so. The producer must be able to demonstrate to the Freedom Food Assessor or the RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer, that all of the steps leadng up to a last resort scenaro have been mplemented. Where t becomes necessary to humanely dspatch a seal as a last resort, the followng records must be kept: a) names of all persons wth vald frearms certfcates who are deemed competent to perform the task b) detals of any bullets used and returned n the ammunton regster c) detals of any anmal that has been shot, ncludng: ) the speces ) the tme and date of dspatch ) the locaton v) the reason for the shootng v) the number of fsh klled before resortng to a lethal method v) the number of fsh on ste. HP * In the case of members of the Freedom Food scheme, all the detals n HP 7.19 relatng to seal shootngs must be reported to the Freedom Food offce, wthn 72 hours. HP 7.20 HP 7.21 HP 7.22 HP 7.23 All attempts must be made to recover the body of the anmal that has been shot and t must be recorded as to whether or not the body was recovered. Any carcases must be dsposed of n accordance wth the law. Seals must not be shot outsde the Crown Estate lease area. After every shootng ncdent, a revew of all predator excluson procedures must be undertaken and records kept of such revews. Genetc selecton and modfcaton The RSPCA s opposed to any breedng procedures that adversely affect welfare. HP 8.1 HP 8.2 Genetc modfcaton technques are prohbted. Fsh must not have been produced by breedng technques that result n health or welfare problems for any of the anmals nvolved. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 15 September 2015

23 Equpment The equpment n whch fsh are kept need to be desgned wth full consderaton of ther welfare needs, and need to protect them from physcal or physologcal dscomfort, dstress and njury, and allow them to perform natural behavours. Enclosure/tank constructon, stuaton and mantenance E 1.1 The stng of tanks and enclosures must be carefully consdered wth regard to fsh welfare, personnel safety and mnmsng adverse affects upon the envronment as detaled n the Envronmental Impact Plan. Tanks E 2.1 E 2.2 E 2.3 E E 2.4 E 2.5 Tanks must be desgned wth fsh welfare as a major consderaton, wth no sharp protrusons whch may be njurous to the fsh. Inlets and outlets must be desgned to prevent fsh escape, and ngress of wld stock. Tanks must be provded wth lds or covered wth approprate nettng to prevent fsh escapng. If nets are used, they must be a sutable sze for the fsh n the tank to prevent escapes and fsh becomng entangled. Flow rate must be sutable for fsh to be able to hold ther poston n the water column. Tanks over fve metres n dameter must have oxygen and/or water level alarms ftted. Enclosures E 3.1 E 3.2 E 3.3 E 3.4 E 3.5 E 3.6 E 3.7 E 3.8 The locaton of enclosures must allow an adequate flux of clean water but must be protected from exposure to extreme condtons that may damage enclosures. The current must not be too strong for fsh to be able to hold ther poston n the water column. There must be easy access from the shore so that adequate nspectons can be made. The mnmum depth of the enclosure must be 5m (apart from fry n freshwater loch enclosures). Nettng used n the constructon of enclosures must present a smooth, non-abrasve surface to lmt njures to the snout, fns and scales of fsh. Bofoulng must not be allowed to buld up on enclosure nets. Enclosure nets must be regularly checked for holes and foulng and mantaned accordngly. Nets must be adequately tensoned and weghted to prevent dstorton. Havng nets that are properly tensoned s mportant to ensure that the full area of the pen s avalable to mantan the stockng densty, and to act as a deterrent to predators. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 16 September 2015

24 Feedng Fsh need to have freedom from hunger and malnutrton by ready access to a hgh qualty det that s approprate to ther speces, and allows full health to be mantaned. Food needs to be dstrbuted n such a way that fsh can eat wthout undue competton. F 1.1 Feedng must be such that the qualty, quantty and frequency are optmal for the fsh's stage of development. Food content F 2.1 F 2.2 F 2.3 All feed must be manufactured from consttuents that are free from actve parastes and known fsh pathogens and contamnaton. All feeds used must be produced strctly to the standards lad down by all the relevant UK and EU legslaton. No feedstuffs contanng growth regulators or hormones are permtted. F 2.4 The use of veternary medcnal products n food s prohbted except for essental therapeutc use (a dsease outbreak or where welfare wll otherwse be compromsed as advsed by a veternary surgeon). Feedng methods F 3.1 F 3.2 F 3.3 F 3.4 Food must be dspensed and dstrbuted n such a way that fsh can eat wthout undue competton. Fsh must be observed at least once a day durng feedng. The person feedng must check that fsh on the perphery of the tank or enclosure receve adequate amounts of food. Overfeedng must be avoded. Feedback systems to prevent overfeedng are encouraged n seawater enclosures. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 17 September 2015

25 Feedng Fastng Although salmon may not feed for long perods n the wld, deprvng a farmed fsh that has prevously been fed regularly wll usually have an adverse effect on welfare. It s unacceptable to deprve salmon of food for perceved flesh qualty reasons. F 4.1 For harvest fsh, fastng tme must: a) not exceed 72 hours (unless drected by the desgnated veternary surgeon for fsh welfare reasons) b) be recorded n the VHWP (see H 1.1). F 4.2 After any perod of fastng, food must be rentroduced n a way that: a) encourages the fsh to resume feedng b) mnmses waste c) producers can demonstrate does not compromse fsh welfare. F 4.3 Records must be kept of the perod for whch the fsh were fasted and when feed was rentroduced. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 18 September 2015

26 Envronmental qualty The stock-keeper s responsble for provdng the lfe support system for farmed fsh and needs to mantan the hghest envronmental qualty at all tmes. External water qualty (seawater/freshwater loch) EVQ 1.1 EVQ 1.2 EVQ 1.3 Water qualty composton must be montored suffcently frequently, f necessary daly, dependng on the system, tme of year and lfecycle stage of stock (as specfed n the VHWP see H 1.1). If water qualty departs from the acceptable range, steps must be taken mmedately to dentfy the source of the problems and rectfy the stuaton as quckly as possble. The Emergency Acton Plan must contan provsons to account for potentally catastrophc events that may adversely affect water qualty, such as algal or jellyfsh blooms. Lghtng EVQ 2.1 Lghtng must be mantaned at a level sutable for each stage of development (as detaled n the VHWP see H 1.1). EVQ 2.2 EVQ 2.3 EVQ 2.4 Fsh must be protected from dstress caused by hgh levels of UV lght or sudden changes n lghtng levels (see EVQ 2.3 and EVQ 2.4). Tank covers must be removed or lghts provded before transfer to sea n order to habtuate fsh to brghter lght. Enclosures must be of adequate depth to prevent damage from ultravolet radaton. Clmate change and anmal welfare The ssues relatng to clmate change have the potental to sgnfcantly affect the welfare of farm anmals. The RSPCA beleves that t s now approprate to react to, thnk ahead, and consder what can reasonably be done to mtgate, any negatve effects that adverse weather condtons may have/be havng on the welfare of farm anmals now, and n the future. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 19 September 2015

27 Envronmental mpact The farm needs to be operated wth respect for the natural envronment and employees need to recognse ther duty to care for the wder envronment. All reasonable steps need to be taken to mnmse the ecologcal mpact of the farmng system. Producers need to draw up an Envronmental Impact Plan wthn two years of jonng the scheme. EVI 1.1 EVI 1.2 An Envronmental Impact Plan must be drawn up and compled wth. All relevant legslaton, offcal gudelnes and Codes of Practce must be strctly adhered to and understood. These standards are prmarly amed at the welfare of farmed fsh. However, the potental for aquaculture to have wder envronmental effects must also be consdered. In addton to fully complyng wth all relevant legslaton and recommendatons, the farmer should demonstrably and postvely revew envronmental protecton polces as developments n research and technology allow. It s the responsblty of the management to ensure that all employees recognse ther duty to care for the natural envronment and montor possble mpacts on t. Escapees EVI 2.1 * EVI 2.2 EVI 2.3 Fsh farms must have a ste specfc contanment plan n place wth the am of preventng fsh escapng and whch ncludes plans for fsh recapture. Enclosures must be desgned and sted n such a way that they are not lkely to be damaged by adverse weather condtons. Fsh farms must have a contanment plan n place wth the am of preventng fsh escapng. Farmed fsh whch escape may have an adverse ecologcal mpact and are also lkely to experence welfare problems. It s therefore essental that all possble reasonable measures are beng taken to prevent farmed fsh escapng. Extraneous speces EVI 3.1 Extraneous speces must be returned to the wld, or humanely culled, as advsed by the desgnated veternary surgeon. Fallowng EVI 4.1 Enclosures must be fallowed as detaled n the Envronmental Impact Plan to allow recovery of the benthos and help to reduce sea lce populatons. Aesthetc EVI 5.1 Stes must be kept tdy and all waste must be dsposed of by an approved method; burnng of plastcs s prohbted. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 20 September 2015

28 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) The freshwater phase of the Atlantc Salmon lfecycle nvolves a number of separate stages. These stages range from the egg through to the fully smolted fsh. All of them requre detaled standards whch ensure the welfare of the fsh through the stages of the freshwater phase. These standards also need to ensure that the fsh are fully prepared for the seawater phase of ther lves. The welfare standards pertanng to the seawater phase are contaned elsewhere n ths document. For the purposes of these standards the followng defntons apply: Ova Green eggs Fertlsed eggs that are water hardened up to the tme that you can see the ntal pgment of the fsh eye wth the naked human eye. Ths wll be at approxmately 220 to 250 degree days. Ova Eyed eggs Eggs that have reached the stage of development where the black spot of the eye s clearly vsble. Approxmately 220 to 250 degree days post spawn. Alevns Hatched eggs not yet ready for frst feedng. Fry Startng from frst feedng up to 1 gram. Parr Greater than 1 gram and up to the start of smoltfcaton. Pre-smolt The fnal producton perod when fsh undergo smoltfcaton from parr to smolt. Smolts Fully smolted. These standards relate to both re-crculaton and flow through systems. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 21 September 2015

29 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) General * The RSPCA s seekng to nvestgate the development of standards for broodstock fsh for ncluson n future edtons. There are areas of ongong research whch are desgned to add to our knowledge about the welfare of the eggs and the fsh at ths stage of ther lfecycle. If any new scentfc evdence emanatng from ths research s shown to have a postve effect on the welfare of the eggs and fsh nvolved, the RSPCA wll seek to ncorporate ths nformaton nto subsequent versons of ther standards. Some of ths research may challenge what s at present deemed to be establshed practce. For example, f t s concluded that the producton of a certan type of smolt s detrmental to ts welfare, the RSPCA wll not permt such fsh to be produced as a part of the RSPCA welfare standards. FW 1.1 FW 1.2 FW 1.3 FW 1.4 FW 1.5 Eggs and juvenle fsh must be produced ether n-house or obtaned from another Freedom Food approved suppler. All eggs must be tested for specfed fsh pathogens as requred under the relevant European and natonal legslaton. Eggs and juvenle fsh suppled by thrd partes must be accompaned by full health documentaton and records of the parent stock as well as the eggs and juvenle fsh themselves. Supply water must: a) be of hgh qualty (see FW 1.6) b) f necessary, be fltered or treated wth ultra volet radaton. The followng maxmum stockng denstes must not be exceeded: Hatchery 15,000 per Calforna basket/tray Mult-level 20,000 eggs per tray Frst feedng tank 10,000/m 2 Freshwater producton tank: Lveweght (mean) Stockng densty (kg/m 3 ) Up to 1gm 10 >1-5gm 20 > >30 50 FW The ste stockng plan must demonstrate that the facltes can mantan and servce the requrements of the stockng denstes n FW 1.5. If ths cannot be demonstrated at assessment, then a lower stockng densty wll have to be adhered to. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 22 September 2015

30 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 1.6 The followng water qualty parameters must be compled wth when water qualty s managed. Parameter Ova Alevns Fry Parr/Smolt Oxygen (O 2 ) mg/l Oxygen (O 2 ) saturaton % n ext water Free ammona (NH 3 ) mg/l >90.0 >70.0 >70.0 >70.0 <0.025 (N/A for Green eggs) <0.025 <0.025 <0.025 Carbon doxde (CO 2 ) mg/l <10.0 <6.0 <6.0 <10.0 Max temp C to to Mn temp C ph n nlet water 5.5 to to to to 8.0 Non-spate suspended solds <25.0 <25.0 <25.0 <25.0 (turbdty) mg/l Ntrte mg/l <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 Ntrate mg/l N/A <50.0 <50.0 <50.0 The RSPCA acknowledges that for fully functonng recrculaton systems ntrate levels wll be above 50mg/l. Super-saturated water can compromse fsh welfare. Levels of oxygen, carbon doxde and ntrogen should be regularly montored n order to avod ths. As our knowledge of the water qualty needs of the fsh mproves, t may be necessary to change and/or add to the consttuents n FW 1.6. For example the ncluson of parameters assocated wth the mneral content of the water may be approprate as we get more nformaton about ther effect on the welfare of the fsh. In order to ensure due dlgence wth regard to the welfare of the fsh, t s expected that all water qualty parameters wth the potental to affect welfare are measured. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 23 September 2015

31 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 1.7 Flow rates must be such that fsh can comfortably mantan ther poston n the water column. A representatve water qualty table for a recrculaton system: Parameter Ova Alevns Fry Parr/Smolt Oxygen (O 2 ) mg/l Oxygen (O 2 ) saturaton % n the ext water Free Ammona (NH 3 ) (mg/l) >90 >90 >70 >80 n/a Total Ammona N (mg/l) n/a <1 <1 <1 Carbon doxde (CO 2 ) (mg/l) <10 <15 <12 <15 Max temp o C Mn temp o C ph Alkalnty (as CaCO 3 ) Suspended solds <25 <25 <25 <25 Ntrte (NO 2 ) (mg/l) <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 Ntrate (NO 3 ) (mg/l) n/a n/a 150max 150max * Ova FW 2.1 All equpment must be: a) mantaned n full workng order b) servced and repared as requred. FW 2.2 FW 2.3 FW 2.4 FW 2.5 FW 2.6 FW FW 2.7 * FW 2.8 FW 2.9 Records must be kept of equpment servces. The hatchng envronment must mnmse movement of the eggs. Flow and/or oxygen alarms must be ftted to all water ntakes to the unt. All alarms must be checked weekly and records kept. There must be a screen to prevent the blockng of nlet valves. Inlet valves must be regularly checked (at least daly). All eggs must be dsnfected pror to entry to any new faclty. Eggs must be water-hardened before beng exposed to dsnfectant or transportaton. Eggs beng transported must be carred wth twce the volume of water than eggs. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 24 September 2015

32 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 2.10 * Water flow and ncubator desgn must be such that dead spots wthn the ncubator do not occur,.e. t must be suffcent to provde oxygen and remove waste products. FW 2.11 FW 2.12 FW 2.13 FW 2.14 FW 2.15 FW 2.16 FW 2.17 FW 2.18 FW 2.19 FW 2.20 FW 2.21 FW 2.22 FW 2.23 Eggs must be placed nto the hatchng envronment to ensure maxmum survval rates and be accessble for pckng. Condtons n the hatchng envronment must be hygenc and free from any rough edges that could cause damage to the eggs. Where mult-layer systems such as buckets are used, t must be demonstrated that water hygene and the ntegrty of the eggs are mantaned. To prevent the spread of dsease there must be no cross contamnaton of water from one contaner to another. After placement, green eggs must reman undsturbed (other than for pckng) for 250 degree days. Where pckng s practsed, dead/unvable eggs must be removed as requred wth mnmum dsturbance. Regular nspectons must be made to ensure the earlest detecton of fungal nfectons. Eggs must not be shocked before 250 degree days or after 370 degree days. The shockng method must be dentfed and must not be such that t causes excessve mortaltes. Tranng records must be avalable whch dentfy those who are competent to perform shockng. Shockng onto a dry surface s prohbted. A sutable substrate must be n place before hatchng. The transportaton of eyed eggs must be done usng purpose bult boxes. FW 2.24 * Eyed eggs must not be transported at a depth greater than 4cm. Ice can be used above the eggs to allow coolng water to drp through to mantan mosture levels. Mult-level hatchery systems FW 3.1 FW 3.2 FW 3.3 FW 3.4 FW 3.5 Each tray must have ts own water ntake. The flow n each tray must be vsble and/or measurable and must be montored to ensure maxmum survval of the eggs. Trays must be easly accessble n order to perform tasks such as removng deads wthout dsturbng the other trays. The maxmum stockng densty n each tray must not exceed 20,000 eggs per tray (tray sze 55 x 53cm approx.) wth eggs no more than three deep. Producers must be able to demonstrate that mortalty was below 5% for the prevous year, f ntendng to stock above 15,000. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 25 September 2015

33 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) Alevns FW 4.1 FW 4.2 FW 4.3 FW 4.4 FW 4.5 FW 4.6 The hatchng substrate must provde a secure envronment for the alevns wthout encouragng bunchng. All alevns must be nspected daly and any dead ones removed. The sphonng of alevns s allowed, but nets must not be used to transfer them when they wegh under 0.5 grams. Abrupt changes n lght levels must be avoded. Where water temperature manpulaton s practsed, fluctuaton n temperature and temperature gradent must be kept to a mnmum. Feedng must start when 90% of the alevns have lost ther yolk sac. Fry FW 5.1 FW 5.2 FW 5.3 Fsh must have access to suffcent food to mantan them n full health and vgour. Feed must be: a) avalable to appette b) spread at regular ntervals. Lght levels must be such that they allow all fsh n the water column to see the feed at all tmes. The RSPCA s nvestgatng whether supplyng a dark perod s of beneft to the welfare of the fsh. FW 5.4 FW 5.5 FW 5.6 FW 5.7 FW 5.8 FW 5.9 Water flow rates must be such that the fry can hold and adjust ther poston n the water easly. All tanks must have ndvdual nets/cleanng equpment. There must not be any gradng before the majorty of fsh wegh a mnmum of 1.3 grams. The load of suspended solds must allow vsblty to the bottom of the tank. The water depth must be approprate to the tank beng used n order to be able to mantan optmum water qualty levels. As the fsh leave the bottom of the tank the water depth must be adjusted to allow natural behavour. Parr FW 6.1 FW 6.2 FW 6.3 FW 6.4 The water temperature must not be manpulated above 16 C unless requred by a veternary surgeon. Feed wthdrawal pror to gradng must not exceed 48 hours. Parr must only be crowded for a maxmum of two hours. Gradng must only start when the majorty of fsh wegh n excess of 1.3 grams. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 26 September 2015

34 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 6.5 FW 6.6 FW 6.7 FW 6.8 FW 6.9 * FW 6.10 FW 6.11* The grader must be sutable for the sze and type of fsh. All staff must be fully traned and competent to use the chosen gradng system. Parr must be able to hold and adjust ther poston n the water easly. When dealng wth more than ndvdual fsh below 5 grams n weght that requre cullng, they must be put nto an anaesthetc mxture as prescrbed by a vet. Indvdual fsh over 5 grams n weght that requre cullng must be humanely dspatched usng a percussve blow. Measures must be n place to prevent fsh escapng. All tanks must have ndvdual nets/cleanng equpment. Freshwater lochs FW 7.1 In some adverse envronmental condtons t may be necessary to temporarly wthdraw feed to avod compromsng the welfare of the fsh through the ncreased rsk of de-oxygenated condtons arsng, for example, durng an algal bloom. Ths wthdrawal perod must be: a) kept to a mnmum b) recorded n the VHWP (see H 1.1). FW 7.2 FW 7.3 FW 7.4 Nets used n freshwater lochs must be managed hygencally. Deteroraton of water qualty due to fouled nets or over feedng must be avoded. The stockng densty n freshwater enclosures must not exceed 8 kg/m³. Pre-smoltfcaton FW 8.1 Vsual checks and observatons must be made for several weeks durng the perod pror to smoltng (slverng, swm pattern, shape). As a gude, the RSPCA recommends the use of the smolt scorng system as amended, of C. Fndlay, of the Fsh Vet Group Inverness. Smolt score Score Appearance 1 Parr marks clear, lght coloured back, flanks green, belly yellow, no slverng. 2 Parr marks fadng, back and fns lght, flanks startng to slver, belly yellow. 3 Parr marks fant, back and fns darkenng, flanks slver, belly whtenng. 4 Parr marks very fant, dark back, yellow only around fn bases and operculum, flanks slver. 5 Parr marks gone, back dark, dark margn to fn edges, flanks slver, belly whte, slverng colour domnant. FW 8.2 The smoltfcaton process must be closely montored for several weeks as detaled n the Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (see H 1.1). RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 27 September 2015

35 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 8.3 The use of hypertonc water (water above 35 parts/1000) for smolt survval testng s prohbted. The RSPCA s preferred technque for testng that all fsh are fully smoltfed at the correct tme s the ATPase test. FW FW 8.4 Producers must be able to demonstrate that they have done everythng possble to ensure maxmum survval when smolts are transferred to sea. Feed wthdrawal pror to transfer to sea must be no greater than 48 hours. Vaccnaton FW 9.1 The VHWP (see H 1.1) must ncorporate a vaccnaton programme to protect fsh from dseases for whch an effectve vaccne s avalable and whch may represent a rsk to the fsh. If effectve oral vaccnes are developed these should be the preferred method of vaccnaton. FW 9.2 FW 9.3 FW 9.4 * All vaccnaton procedures must be conducted wth care and wth the mnmum possble dstress caused to the fsh. Vaccnaton at 1 gram lveweght must be by the mmerson method only. Pror to vaccnaton, there must be a vaccnaton plan n place, whch must: a) be agreed and sgned by the vaccnaton team leader and ste apponted supervsor b) nclude the number and weght of the fsh to be vaccnated c) detal the expected tmeframe of the process. FW 9.5 * External and n-house vaccnaton teams must have a copy of the current verson of the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon and must: a) be famlar wth and understand ts content, and b) use t as part of the nducton process for team members. FW 9.6 * Vaccnaton teams must: a) ensure that all staff workng wth stock are traned and competent n the aspects of the vaccnaton process to whch they are assgned b) have a named team leader who has attended a recognsed fsh welfare course. FW 9.7 * FW 9.8 * FW 9.9 * FW 9.10* Vaccnaton teams must mantan records of all staff tranng. An adequate number of experenced ste staff and vaccnators must be avalable to deal suffcently wth any problems that arse. Vaccnaton Team Leaders and Vaccnators must be able to demonstrate ther profcency n procedures that have the potental to cause pan or dstress, ncludng the vaccnaton technque, hand gradng of fsh to be culled and ther humane euthanasa. Vaccnaton Team Leaders and members must be able to recognse ndcators of poor welfare n fsh, ncludng abnormal behavours, physcal njury and symptoms of dsease. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 28 September 2015

36 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 9.11* FW 9.12* FW 9.13* FW 9.14* FW 9.15* FW 9.16 FW 9.17* FW 9.18* FW 9.19* FW 9.20* FW 9.21* FW 9.22* FW 9.23* FW 9.24* FW 9.25* FW 9.26* FW 9.27* FW 9.28* FW 9.29* Ste staff must ensure that all fsh have been pre-graded before they are vaccnated. Any veternary medcnes used must be lcensed n the UK for use n Atlantc salmon or authorsed under an Anmal Test Certfcate or an Anmal Test Exempton Certfcate. Anaesthetcs and vaccnes must be used accordng to manufacterers nstructons. Vaccnes and anaesthetcs must: a) be on ste before vaccnaton commences b) only be admnstered to fsh by sutably traned staff. Veternary products must be properly labelled and stored approprately. Water temperature for vaccnaton must be accordng to manufacturers nstructons. Any equpment defects must be rectfed mmedately, or f ths s not possble measures must be taken to avod the welfare of the fsh beng compromsed. All fsh must be sutably anaesthetsed before beng vaccnated. Anaesthetc must only be admnstered by traned, competent personnel. There must be a team member wth responsblty for montorng oxygen levels n the anaesthetc bath and mantanng them at 7mg/ltre. The removal of fsh from water or handlng of the fsh must only be done when necessary. If fsh are handled: a) adequate support must be gven to the body b) they must never be held by the tal only or thrown onto sold objects. Tme out of water must: a) be kept to an absolute mnmum b) never exceed 15 seconds for a lve fsh (unless anaesthetsed). If hand nets are used, they must be: a) of a sutable sze b) of a desgn whch avods physcally damagng the fsh c) managed hygencally d) n a good state of repar. Fsh must not be left to de n ar. Where fsh are humanely dspatched at the freshwater stage ths must be undertaken through an overdose of a sutable anaesthetc. All vaccnaton procedures must be conducted wth care and wth the mnmum possble stress to the fsh. Fsh must be contnuously montored throughout the vaccnaton process to ensure ther welfare s not compromsed. Serously ll, njured or morbund fsh must be humanely culled wthout delay. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 29 September 2015

37 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 9.30* FW 9.31* FW 9.32* FW 9.33* FW 9.34* FW 9.35* FW 9.36* Vaccnators must regularly nspect ther needles and replace them f necessary accordng to manufacturers nstructons. Audt sampled fsh must only be culled by traned/competent personnel. The apponted supervsor/vaccnaton Team Leader must check at the begnnng of the process, and at regular ntervals durng the day to ensure that the vaccnaton procedure s beng done correctly. Records of these checks must be made. Ste staff must ensure that followng vaccnaton, any gradents from the vaccnaton table to the recovery tank/pen must be such that the fsh are not at rsk of httng the bottom of the tank or other fsh. Ste staff must ensure that the depth and flow of water s closely montored to ensure that returnng fsh are not returned to water that s ether too shallow, or at an ncorrect flow rate, depth or qualty. Care must be taken when returnng the recoverng fsh to the tank followng the anaesthetc/vaccnaton process. Ste staff must ensure that oxygen levels n the recovery tank or pen are: a) montored regularly, and b) mantaned at a mnmum of 7mg/ltre. FW 9.37* Ste staff must: a) check the recoverng fsh regularly to ensure that they are recoverng from the anaesthetc process b) rectfy and record any ssues. FW 9.38* FW 9.39* At the end of the process there must be a reconclaton between the amount of vaccne used and the number of fsh whch have been vaccnated. Ths must be recorded. The vaccnaton procedure must be subject to a thrd party audt. Auto-vaccnaton It s the RSPCA s ntenton to requre the use of approved vaccnaton teams wthn the next two years. FW 10.1 FW 10.2 * FW 10.3 * All fsh must have been pre-graded before they are vaccnated. An assessment of fsh condton must be made before the gradng process begns, to ensure that they are robust enough to endure the gradng procedure, where machnes smultaneously grade fsh at vaccnaton. The equpment must: a) be thoroughly checked after transportaton for any damage/broken parts whch may halt the vaccnaton process b) be calbrated accordng to the sze of the fsh, takng nto account the vaccnaton depth, poston, angle and dosage of the vaccne c) be checked for the correct calbraton at least once per hour durng the vaccnaton process. FW 10.4 FW 10.5 A sample number of fsh must be vaccnated to check the calbraton before the man process s started. The sample fsh must be humanely dspatched before any nspectons to check for vaccnaton accuracy. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 30 September 2015

38 Freshwater (pre-smoltfcaton/juvenle fsh) FW 10.6 FW 10.7 All fsh must be anaesthetsed before beng vaccnated. There must be back-up systems and contngency plans n place n order to deal wth system malfunctons and breakdowns n order to safeguard the welfare of the fsh. FW There must be contnual montorng to check for any fsh whch may have become trapped n the ppes of the machne. These checks must be recorded. FW 10.8 * FW 10.9 FW Needles must be nspected at least every two hours and replaced accordng to manufacturers gudelnes. After transportaton, the machne must be thoroughly checked to ensure that any workng parts have not been damaged durng the transportaton process. At the end of the process there must be a reconclaton between the amount of vaccnaton used and the number of fsh whch have been vaccnated. Ths must be recorded. * Trplod fsh * At present the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon only apply to dplod fsh. The RSPCA s montorng the work beng done on the specfc needs of trplod salmon, such as det, management and health care, n order to nvestgate how and whether ther welfare needs can be properly satsfed, whch wll ultmately determne whether they wll be allowed to be used n future under the standards. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 31 September 2015

39 Seawater The seawater stage of the salmon lfecycle contans a number of crtcal control ponts (CCPs), such as wellboat transportaton to harvest. The standards are desgned to address these CCPs n order to ensure that the welfare of the fsh s not compromsed durng these seawater-based processes. Seawater stockng densty SW 1.0 * SW 1.1 In the case of Freedom Food members all fsh must be sourced from a Freedom Food approved populaton, ncludng any fsh that may have spent part of ts lfe on another freshwater ste pror to transfer to the present ste. The followng maxmum stockng denstes must not be exceeded: Seawater enclosure Seawater enclosure ste maxmum Maxmum stockng densty 17kg/m³ 15kg/m³ SW 1.2 SW 1.3 SW 1.4 SW 1.5 SW 1.6 The maxmum stockng densty must be calculated on the weght of fsh/m 3 of water volume. The depth of the net must be such that there s a gap of at least 5 metres from the base of the net to the seabed. Wth enclosures of 24 x 24 metres or bgger, or the crcular equvalent, the maxmum depth to whch stockng densty can be calculated must not exceed 17 metres. If calculatng stockng densty between 15 and 17 metres depth, the stockperson must be able to demonstrate that montorng s takng place n order to ensure that all fsh are feedng. Extra net cleanng must be adopted and recorded f calculatng stockng densty down to between 15 and 17 metres. The defnton of depth for the purpose of these standards s taken as the actual depth of the vertcal net wall from the waterlne to the seabed. SW 1.7 * After transfer to sea, smolts must not be handled for at least 120 days, for example not crowded, except for veternary treatments. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 32 September 2015

40 Transport Transport systems need to be desgned and operated to ensure that fsh are not caused unnecessary dstress or dscomfort. The transport and handlng of fsh needs to be kept to an absolute mnmum. Persons nvolved n transport need to be thoroughly traned and competent to carry out the requred tasks. * General transport T 1.1 * T 1.2 * T 1.3 * T 1.4 * T 1.5 * T 1.6 * T 1.7 * T 1.8 * All supplers of dfferent modes of transport (road/helcopter/wellboat) used for fsh from Freedom Food approved stes must be Freedom Food approved. All persons nvolved n transportaton of fsh must be famlar wth, and transport fsh n accordance wth, all relevant legslaton. Transport operators must ensure that all persons nvolved n the transportaton of the fsh have a copy of the current verson of the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon at each ste/on each vehcle and: a) are famlar wth ts content b) understand and apply ts content c) have a) and b) as part of ther nducton programme. There must be good lnes of communcaton between all of those nvolved n transportng/harvestng/gradng fsh n order to avod potental or actual welfare problems occurrng wth the fsh. These communcatons must nclude the: a) number of fsh to be transported b) sze range of the fsh c) weght of the fsh d) current health status of the fsh. All staff workng wth, or handlng fsh must be: a) traned and competent b) aware of ther dutes c) aware of any welfare rsks nvolved. In the case of Freedom Food members, records of staff tranng n relaton to T 1.5 must be kept and made avalable for the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. Any handlng of fsh pror to transport must: a) be kept to a mnmum b) be conducted n such a way as to prevent any unnecessary dstress to the fsh c) not result n fsh beng out of water for more than 15 seconds (unless anaesthetsed). All equpment that the fsh rely upon for lfe support must be: a) cleansed and dsnfected pror to use b) ft for purpose c) nspected at least every 4.5 hours when n operaton. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 33 September 2015

41 Transport T 1.9 * T 1.10 * T 1.11 * Excessve changes n water temperature and ph durng transportaton must be avoded. Water temperature and ph durng transportaton must be as close as possble to that from whch the fsh came. Water must be free from contamnants whch may be detrmental to the welfare of the fsh. * Ste staff responsble for movng fsh T 2.1 * All journeys must have a transport plan, whch: a) s up to date b) covers mportant aspects of the journey, ncludng: ) journey tmes ) water qualtes ) contngency plans v) dentty of those responsble for fsh welfare. T * Managers must ensure that all staff, ncludng transport staff, are aware of ths transport plan (see T 2.1). T 2.2 * T 2.3 * T 2.4 * T 2.5 * T 2.6 * T 2.7 * T 2.8 * Any handlng of fsh must be: a) kept to a mnmum b) conducted n such a way as to prevent any unnecessary dstress to the fsh. Only healthy, undamaged fsh must be transported. Care must be taken to ensure dead fsh are not loaded for transport. Sck or serously njured fsh must: a) not be transported b) be humanely destroyed. There must be a named member of staff responsble for montorng the welfare of the fsh durng loadng and unloadng. Records of procedures relatng to loadng and unloadng must be mantaned and nclude detals of any casualtes or compromses to the welfare of the fsh. The followng records must be kept: a) tme snce last handlng b) tme snce vaccnaton c) tme snce last treatment (ncludng anaesthetc) d) feed wthdrawal tme e) date of full smoltfcaton f) any clncal sgns of dsease g) crowdng records h) oxygen levels durng crowdng ) numbers of fsh n each tank to be transported j) stockng denstes of tanks beng used for transport. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 34 September 2015

42 Transport T 2.9 * T 2.10 * T 2.11 * T 2.12 * T 2.13 * T 2.14 * T 2.15 * T 2.16 * T 2.17 * Pre-transport fastng must: a) never exceed 48 hours, unless specfed by a veternary surgeon/senor producton manager b) be recorded n the Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (VHWP) where t exceeds 48 hours. Any bath treatment must be: a) completed a mnmum of 14 days before transport, unless under veternary/health advser advce b) recorded n the VHWP. If fsh pumps are to be used, they must be approprate for the sze of the fsh beng pumped to avod njury. There must be no jonts, knks, bends or rough nternal edges on, or n the ppes whch may cause physcal njury to the fsh. There must be a procedure n place to ensure that all fsh are removed from any ppes or other equpment used at the end of loadng and unloadng or where a breakdown occurs. The drop from the end of any ppe must be such that t: a) avods njurng the fsh b) allows fsh to dsperse wthout others landng on top of them. Hand nets must: a) be of a correct sze so that they can be easly lfted and the fsh at the bottom of the net are not njured b) have a sutable mesh sze for the sze of the fsh whch prevents fsh escapng c) not be overflled. Fsh must not be netted before they are ready to be receved at the transport tanks/helcopter buckets. The nettng of the last fsh n any tank must be undertaken wth a great deal of cauton and care so as not to njure any fsh. * Transport staff T 3.1 * T 3.2 * T 3.3 * T 3.4 * T 3.5 * T 3.6 * T 3.7 * All equpment that the fsh rely on for lfe support must be nspected at least every 4.5 hours. If any faults are found n the equpment: a) any fsh n transt must be nspected b) any problems must be corrected mmedately. Supplementary oxygen or aeraton must be avalable durng all transportaton, whch s suffcent to last at least 50% longer than the antcpated journey length. Oxygen levels must be: a) contnuously montored throughout the journey (ncludng for any nternal journeys) b) mantaned at a mnmum of 7mg/ltre. Excessve changes n water temperature and ph durng transportaton must be avoded. Any fsh whch de durng transportaton must be separated from lve fsh mmedately upon arrval. Records must be kept of any deaths or njures that occur durng transportaton. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 35 September 2015

43 Transport T 3.8 * Transport contaners must be cleaned and dsnfected after each consgnment, to prevent the spread of dsease. * Fry Transport T 4.1 * T 4.2 * T 4.3 * T 4.4 * T 4.5 * T 4.6 * T 4.7 * Calculaton of stockng denstes of the floor area of tanks must take nto account the tendency of fry to crowd together on the bottom of the tank. The oxygen supply to the bottom of the tank must take nto account the nature of fry crowdng behavour. There must be a procedure n place to ensure that all fsh are removed from any ppes or other equpment used at the end of loadng or unloadng, and also n case of emergency breakdown. If a hose s used to flush the tank out at the end of a dscharge, t must not be amed at the fsh, but at the sde of the tank n order to avod njurng the fsh. Oxygen levels must be: a) contnuously montored b) mantaned at a mnmum of 7mg/ltre. Ar sausages must be securely attached to avod damagng the fsh. Ferres must be pre-booked pror to salng. * Road Transport T 5.1 T 5.2 T 5.3 T 5.4 T 5.5 * T 5.6 * The drver of the vehcle must: a) be fully aware of the transport regulatons relatng to the fsh b) understand the needs of the fsh beng transported c) drve n a manner whch wll not compromse the welfare of the fsh. Tank nsulaton must be such that t allows the water to reman at a constant temperature +/- 1.5 degrees C from the start of the journey. Before leavng the ste, the drver must: a) perform a vsual check of the oxygen levels and rates of aeraton nto the tanks b) record the oxygen levels on the record sheet. All transport tanks and lfe support systems must: a) be ft for purpose b) be wthout leaks, chps or cracks. After the requred stockng densty has been reached, tanks must be flled to the top wth good qualty water (see FW 1.6 as a reference) from a known source. The maxmum stockng densty must be set so that water qualty (see FW 1.6 as a reference) can be mantaned for the duraton of the journey. * The maxmum stockng densty wll depend on the dstance travelled, but as a general gude t should be wthn kg/m 3. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 36 September 2015

44 Transport T 5.7 * T 5.8 T 5.9 T 5.10 T 5.11 * T 5.12 * T 5.13 * T 5.14 T 5.15 * T 5.16 T 5.17 T 5.18 T 5.19 T 5.20 T 5.21 T 5.22 T 5.23 Dffused oxygen must be spread around the water column by the use of an ol free compressor. There must be suffcent aeraton to avod deadspots. All lds, outlets and any other openngs must be fully secured before departure. Durng the journey, f oxygen levels become unstable, the drver must: a) be able to vsually check the fsh for sgns of stress b) be able to dentfy the cause of the oxygen nstablty c) take approprate acton to ensure the welfare of the fsh. If a journey requres the use of a ro-ro ferry, procedures must be n place to ensure the welfare of the fsh durng the journey. Any ferres used must be pre-booked before salng. Drvers must be able to gan access below deck durng the journey n order to montor the welfare of the fsh. When arrvng at the dscharge ste, the drver must: a) have been aware of the bosecurty/envronmental requrements before arrval on ste b) ensure complance wth any bosecurty/envronmental requrements. After arrvng on ste, dscharge must take place wthout undue delay. The lorry must be sted to ensure that all tanks can be fully empted, takng nto account any cambers whch may be apparent n the ground. Valves must be sutable for more than one fsh to pass through at any one tme. All ppes must be securely attached to prevent fsh from escapng durng the unloadng process. All unloadng must be through valves whch do not compromse the welfare of the fsh, rather than nettng fsh from the tanks. Any ppes used for unloadng must be able to be adjusted n order to account for any rse and fall n the tde. Water must always be n the tanks durng unloadng n order to avod the last fsh becomng dry and wthout oxygen. There must be a system for flushng the tanks at the end of unloadng to ensure that the last fsh s removed wthout compromsng ther welfare. Tank desgn must facltate the dscharge of the last fsh by havng slopng floors whch gude the fsh to the outlet. * Helcopter transfer T 6.1 T 6.2 * Plots and ground crew must be traned and competent n the welfare consequences of how they handle fsh. There must be staff avalable at each ste recevng fsh who are aware of the necessary procedures to safeguard welfare. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 37 September 2015

45 Transport T 6.3 * T 6.4 * T 6.5 * T 6.6 * T 6.7 T 6.8 * T 6.9 T 6.10 T 6.11 T 6.12 T 6.13 T 6.14 * T 6.15 T 6.16 All recevng enclosures must be clearly dentfed, e.g. wth marker buoys. Ste staff must be able to communcate wth the loadng ste and the helcopter. The fsh must be transferred from the tanks/rearng enclosures wthout causng njury to fsh. Helcopter buckets and other ancllary equpment must be: a) fully mantaned b) clean c) ft for purpose. There must be suffcent buckets to ensure that the tme that fsh have to wat for transportaton does not compromse ther welfare. The loadng of the fsh nto the buckets must concde wth the arrval of the helcopter. The helcopter bucket must contan approxmately two thrds water before any fsh are loaded nto t. The lfe support system of the bucket must be swtched on and workng before the fsh are put n. A sample weght of fsh must be known before loadng commences. Helcopter buckets must have ther own ndependent supply of oxygen. The oxygen levels n the bucket must be: a) the same as that of the tanks from where the fsh came, b) mantaned at a mnmum of 7mg/ltre. The helcopter bucket must be lowered gently nto the water when unloadng the fsh to avod njurng them. The helcopter bucket must be allowed to empty completely before movng off. The planned maxmum journey tme to the dscharge ste wth fsh on board must be no longer than 15 mnutes. T 6.17 The maxmum stockng densty n the bucket must be no greater than 400kg/m 3. T 6.18 There must be a contngency plan n place for: a) bad weather b) f a bucket wll not open. * Wellboat transport-smolts T 7.1 * T 7.2 * T 7.3 * T 7.4 * Only wellboats wth the ablty to run on closed valves are permtted. The journey must be planned to ensure that arrvals at the loadng and unloadng stes are such that they avod delays n movng the fsh. There must be traned and competent staff avalable at the ste that s to receve fsh. The wellboat must have water n the well before loadng commences. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 38 September 2015

46 Transport T 7.5 T 7.6 T 7.7 T 7.8 T 7.9 T 7.10 T 7.11 T 7.12 T 7.13 T 7.14 Maxmum stockng denstes must: a) be wthn 40 50kg/m 3 (dependng on water qualty and sze of smolts) b) be set so that water qualty can be mantaned over the length of the journey. If fsh countng equpment s n place, t must: a) be over a de-waterer b) be fully mantaned c) be regularly calbrated to mantan accuracy d) be of a desgn not lkely to cause damage or njury to the fsh. The number of fsh to be loaded must be known n order to be able to verfy complance wth the stockng densty. There must be enough lght n the well to enable easy nspecton of the fsh. Pumps and ppes used for unloadng must be postoned to mnmse the heght and dstance that the fsh have to be pumped. Pumps and ppes must be free of any rough edges whch mght damage the fsh. There must be a method n place to ensure that no fsh are left n the ppes after pumpng, or durng a breakdown. A humane process must be n place to safeguard fsh welfare when removng the last fsh from the well. Adjustments must be made to the trm/balance of the wellboat to ensure fsh are algned wth the dscharge pont. Water flow through the wells at dscharge must: a) be suffcent to facltate movement of the fsh b) not be so strong as to cause the fsh njury. * Seawater ste staff (recevng) T 8.1 * T 8.2 * T 8.3 * T 8.4 * T 8.5 * T 8.6 * A system must be n place to ensure that the numbers of fsh to be dscharged nto each recevng enclosure s pre-planned and reported to well boat staff before dscharge begns. Any fsh whch de durng transportaton must be separated from lve fsh as soon as possble after arrval. Records must be kept of any deaths or njures that occur durng transportaton. The ppe layout angle and drop must: a) lead to good dstrbuton nto the enclosure b) mnmse the rsk of collsons between fsh. The nets at the recepton enclosure must: a) be set at a suffcent depth to permt nspecton b) not be so shallow that fsh are stressed by strong sunlght. The fsh must be gven humane protecton from brds and marne predators. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 39 September 2015

47 Transport T 8.7 * T 8.8 * T 8.9 * T 8.10 * The unloadng of fsh must not take place f adverse weather condtons are lkely to compromse the welfare of the fsh. Dead and morbund fsh must be dsposed of humanely and hygencally. Records of all dead and morbund fsh must: a) be kept b) nclude the cause of death where possble and any other nformaton relatng to the health and welfare of the fsh c) be made avalable for nspecton by the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer for at least one year. Producers must be able to demonstrate that they have done everythng possble to ensure maxmum survval when smolts are transferred to sea. * Harvest wellboats T 9.1 * T 9.2 * T 9.3 * T 9.4 * T 9.5 * T 9.6 * T 9.7 * From 1st January 2016, cameras must be ftted to the outsde of the brdge so that loadng can be recorded. From 1st January 2016, all wellboats regstered to operate n Scottsh waters must be ftted wth autologgng systems whch can: a) record ther poston b) determne whether all nlet, outlet and bottom valves are ether open or closed at any one tme c) enable the nformaton to be avalable n real tme and retrospectvely. All auto-loggng systems must have been certfed as beng accurate and ft for purpose by a competent ndependent expert. If for reasons beyond the control of the ste manager (e.g. because of a dsease outbreak) a new wellboat has to be brought n whch does not have an autologgng capablty, neghbourng farms must be nformed. For Freedom Food approved vessels, crew members and skppers must have attended a recognsed fsh welfare course wthn 12 months after jonng the vessel. Wellboats must be equpped wth water qualty montorng and mantenance equpment, whch must be calbrated so t s workng and ft for purpose at all tmes. Where calbraton s not possble, there must be a demonstrable way of ensurng that the equpment s workng properly. T 9.8 * Wellboat cleanng procedures must comply wth the FRS dsnfecton gude verson 4 ( T 9.9 Water must be chlled at a maxmum of 1.5 o C per hour from ambent. T 9.10 The ph of the wellwater must always be between 6.8 and 8. T 9.11 * The maxmum stockng densty n the well must be based on the lveweght of the fsh (+/-) 10%. * The aspraton of the RSPCA s to have dedcated onshore facltes strategcally located where dscharge water can be pumped, fltered and/or treated. When these onshore facltes are avalable, the dscharge of water at sea wll be prohbted. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 40 September 2015

48 Transport T 9.12 * T 9.13 * T 9.14 * T 9.15 * Only dsnfected water can be dscharged upstream of another ste. Any onboard/onshore water treatment/fltraton methods must be recorded, and n the case of Freedom Food members the records made avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor and the RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. From the 1st January 2016 all new harvest vessels operatng under the Freedom Food Scheme must have an effectve lce fltraton system n place. As part of the Area Management Agreement (AMA), ste managers must nform ther neghbours when a dscharge s gong to take place. * Dead haul wellboats T 10.1 * T 10.2 * T 10.3 * T 10.4 * T 10.5 * T 10.6 * T 10.7 * T 10.8 * T 10.9 * T * T * Wellboats arrvng n the Unted Kngdom (UK) to work wthn UK waters must carry a vald certfcate of dsnfecton from ther country of orgn. Inter-ste movement of vessels must be kept to a mnmum. Any vsble surface mortaltes or obvously morbund fsh on the surface must be removed before further operatons begn. The cleanng and dsnfecton procedures for wellboats as set out n the current verson of FRS dsnfecton gude verson 4 ( must be adhered to, and a checklst sgned by the skpper upon completon. All equpment must be checked regularly and mantaned n accordance wth manufacturers or n-house mantenance schedules. All equpment must be mantaned n clean, hygenc condtons and must be thoroughly dsnfected and rnsed after use. All storage facltes must: a) be bunded b) be wnd and water tght c) protect aganst other anmals. All sold and lqud waste materals must be stored and dsposed of approprately and n accordance wth relevant legslaton. Dead haul wellboats must not dscharge remedal blood water wthn 5km of any fsh farm. In the case of any remedal blood water that s dscharged at sea: a) ths must be rendered nert and dsnfected b) the treatment methods must be recorded and n the case of Freedom Food members the records made avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. The grd reference where the dsnfected blood water s dscharged must be recorded and n the case of Freedom Food members be avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 41 September 2015

49 Transport T * The followng records must be kept for nspecton: a) wellboat movements b) fsh movements c) tmes of fsh movements d) dsnfecton logs e) numbers of fsh loaded/fsh sze dstrbuton f) route covered durng transport g) tmng of open and closed valve operaton f approprate for dead haul wellboats ftted wth valves. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 42 September 2015

50 Slaughter/kllng Fsh need to be klled humanely wthout any unnecessary dstress or dscomfort. Pre-slaughter crowdng and handlng needs to be kept to an absolute mnmum. Personnel nvolved n slaughter need to be thoroughly traned and competent to carry out the requred tasks. The RSPCA s consderng ncludng the requrement for harvest statons to ft sea lce fltraton equpment n the near future. S 1.1 Pror to kllng, fsh must: a) only be fasted for the absolute mnmum perod requred to meet food hygene requrements b) not be fasted for more than 72 hours, unless fastng s benefcal for welfare. S 1.2 Crowdng and handlng pror to kllng must be kept to an absolute mnmum. S 1.3 S 1.4 Farmed fsh must be humanely klled. The method of kllng used must rapdly, and wthout pan and dstress, render the fsh nsensble, untl death supervenes. S An effcently appled percussve blow s the only permtted kllng method at present. S Humane mechancal devces must be used n preference to a manual percussve blow (except for emergency kllng). S The use of mechancal devces must be montored to ensure that they are workng properly and that they are delverng the stun at the correct locaton. S 1.5 One blow must be delvered to the top of the head just behnd the eyes, of suffcent force to cause mmedate loss of conscousness that lasts untl death. S A prest must be avalable throughout the kllng process to allow a manual percussve blow to be admnstered n an emergency. S 1.6 Bleedng must follow wthn 10 seconds. S 1.7 * All staff nvolved wth the slaughter/kllng process must have receved full tranng and be fully competent n all methods of harvest dead haul, shore based or cage sde. S 1.8 There must be a named person responsble for fsh welfare throughout the kllng process who has attended a recognsed tranng course n humane kllng of fsh. S 1.9 * Before the begnnng of each harvest: a) the system must be tested to ensure that t s workng effectvely b) the results of these checks must be recorded c) n the case of Freedom Food members the results must be made avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor or RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 43 September 2015

51 Slaughter/kllng S 1.10 All blood and mucus from kllng operatons must be contaned and dsposed of ashore. The RSPCA s examnng all new developments assocated wth the kllng of farmed fsh. If any of these methods are shown not to compromse the welfare of the fsh nvolved, then consderaton wll be gven to ncorporatng them nto the RSPCA welfare standards n the future. S 1.11 * Producers must always: a) humanely destroy any extraneous/non-target fsh that are present b) be aware of, and adhere to, any legslaton relatng to protected speces. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 44 September 2015

52 Appendx 1 RSPCA Veternary Health and Welfare Plan gudance notes Ths document provdes complementary notes to the RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon, and s ntended as gudance for producers and ther veternary surgeons durng the formulaton of ther wrtten Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (VHWP). All farms are dfferent and, therefore, these notes are not ntended to be prescrptve but to offer gudance regardng the man areas whch should be consdered. In places, some of the requrements of RSPCA welfare standards are hghlghted. However, these are just relevant examples and the RSPCA welfare standards must be consulted n full for the detaled requrements. The RSPCA s grateful to those who asssted n formulatng these gudance notes partcularly Pete Southgate BvetMed MSc MRCVS of the Fsh Vet Group veternary surgeons, and Steve Kestn BSc PhD of the Unversty of Brstol, for ther nvaluable contrbuton. The Socety would also lke to thank members of the RSPCA Salmon Standards Workng Group for ther advce. Appendx 1 contents Part A: VHWP Gudelnes on fsh health Pete Southgate BvetMed MSc MRCVS, Fsh Vet Group Bosecurty General management Dsease and physcal damage control and montorng Tranng Informaton on major common parastes and dseases Classfcaton of causes of death Part B: VHWP Gudelnes on ensurng fsh welfare at slaughter Steve Kestn BSc PhD, Unversty of Brstol Introducton What s humane slaughter? What parts of the operaton do we need to examne? Assessng the pre-slaughter crowd The feed-back loop Sgns to watch out for Mantanng a good crowd Methods for conveyng fsh to the slaughter table Managng a good stunnng operaton Assessng the effectveness of stunnng Determnng whether fsh are adequately stunned RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 45 September 2015

53 Appendx 1 Assessng the stunnng operaton Exsangunaton (bleedng) Fnally Summary of observatons and measurements to make durng fsh slaughter Part C: Development of a programme for montorng physcal njury and deformty Introducton Possble montorng programme Use of the scales n the Freedom Food scheme Suggested scorng system Photographc examples for scorng The wrtten Veternary Health and Welfare Plan (VHWP) should be agreed between the vet and the producer and, where approprate, the stock-keeper. It should nvolve regular vsts on-ste by the farm s own vet. It would be preferable f the vsts could be carred out by the same vet to gve contnuty and consstency of advce. Ths vet should be named and be responsble for overseeng the drawng up of the health plan on the frst vst as well as an annual revew. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 46 September 2015

54 Part A: VHWP gudelnes on fsh health Appendx 1 Pete Southgate BvetMed MSc MRCVS, Fsh Vet Group veternary surgeons The VHWP s a document whch s developed by the farm personnel and ther veternary surgeons to encompass all areas of fsh health and welfare. It attempts to dentfy and defne areas of management and husbandry where agreed actvtes and protocols are amed at best practce for the mantenance and mprovement of the stock health status and welfare. It should set out objectves and aspratons whch are regularly revewed and updated. See RSPCA welfare standard H 1.1 The VHWP must cover sx key areas: 1. Bosecurty. 2. General management. 3. Dsease and physcal njury control and montorng. 4. Tranng. 5. Major common dseases. 6. Classfcaton of causes of death. Maxmsng fsh health and welfare s the overall aspraton of the VHWP. 1. Bosecurty See RSPCA welfare standard M 3.5 Approprate and effectve bosecurty measures must be n place to mnmse the ntroducton of new nfectous agents nto the farm. These measures should address the followng areas: dsease examnaton and certfcaton of ova and fsh pror to stockng vstors and vehcle movements staff santaton movement of equpment and staff between stes stock separaton, solaton, santary and hygene procedures between workng areas santaton of fxed and movable equpment day-to-day cleanng/dsnfecton and termnal dsnfecton of buldngs, equpment, enclosures and nets. Fsh movements It s recognsed that bosecurty may be dffcult n some cases e.g. open sea enclosure stes, where solaton of stocks from potental pathogens from the envronment s mpossble, but these rsks must be recognsed and mnmsed as far as possble e.g. by separaton of year class stocks, approprate fallowng and ste selecton. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 47 September 2015

55 Appendx 1 2. General management The farmer s expected to mantan the hghest possble welfare standards at all tmes. It s essental that staff managng farmed fsh are aware of the mportance of welfare as an ntegral part of producton. Physcal health and njury scorng should be used by the farmer as a management tool to mprove welfare (see Part C) and ths system should be used to provde feedback to the VHWP. The VHWP shall establsh procedures whch dentfy areas of welfare rsk and methods of montorng and mnmsng rsk. Montorng wll determne whether the procedures are approprate and successful. Procedures shall be regularly revewed and the VHWP changed to account for any correctve actons dentfed. The VHWP wll nclude reference to a chan of command detalng responsbltes for specfc procedures, supervsors, reportng responsbltes and the provson of sutably traned deputes. Management actvtes to be addressed: See RSPCA welfare standards M 2.1 to M 2.4 routne nspecton of fsh and equpment and method of recordng methods of handlng fsh procedures for crowdng fsh procedures for gradng fsh procedures for montorng smoltfcaton by sea water tolerance testng and condton scorng agreed maxmum stockng densty for each system lghtng levels for each stage of development methods for montorng fsh slaughterng operatons (see Part B). Humane cullng The VHWP must cover approprate acton when dealng wth the humane destructon of serously sck or njured fsh. Ths should nclude gudelnes on recognsng fsh that requre cullng. Fsh whch are unlkely to recover from a condton or are lkely to be experencng pan or dstress must be humanely klled wthout delay. It s unacceptable to leave such fsh to suffer when t s possble to catch and remove them. For example, f a serously njured fsh s notced durng crowdng, whch can be caught wthout dstressng the remanng fsh, t must be removed mmedately, rather than subjected to further procedures such as pumpng. Consderaton must also be gven n the VHWP to stuatons n whch mass cullng maybe requred for emergency reasons such as a major dsease outbreak. In such stuatons prompt dentfcaton and acton can prevent consderable sufferng, and producers must outlne measures to ensure ths s acheved as part of an Emergency Procedures Acton Plan. Due attenton must be pad to welfare n such crcumstances as advsed by the attendng veternary surgeon, fsh bologst or fsh health manager. See RSPCA welfare standards H 2.1 to H 2.4 RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 48 September 2015

56 Appendx 1 3. Dsease and physcal damage control and montorng Fsh must be protected from pan, njury and dsease, through good management and husbandry practce, and by rapd detecton and treatment of dsease. See RSPCA welfare standards M 2.7, M 3.2, M 3.6, M 3.7 & H 1.4 The VHWP shall nclude future husbandry plans and an assessment of rsks to the health and survval of fsh stocks. The VHWP must be regularly updated followng consultaton wth the veternary surgeon, fsh bologst or fsh health manager. The VHWP must detal methods of removal and dsposal of dead fsh. The cause of death must be classfed (see PART A, 6. Classfcaton of causes of dsease). Any cullng should be carred out by an agreed procedure. An agreed recordng procedure shall be establshed ncludng cause of death (or reason for cullng), dates and tmes of nspectons and sgnature. Approprate bosecurty arrangements must be n place for the dsposal of dead fsh, ncludng santaton of equpment used. The VHWP shall detal evdence of physcal damage e.g. fn damage, de-scalng, wounds, lce damage, eye damage etc. Incdence of physcal njury and deformty must be regularly montored (see PART C) and a programme establshed to dentfy and rectfy the cause of recurrng damage on a number of fsh. A system of physcal health scorng shall be establshed n conjuncton wth the VHWP. Farms must benchmark the physcal health and damage of ther fsh at entry to the scheme, usng accepted protocols, and montor fsh at regular ntervals. As tme progresses, t s expected that fsh condton wll progressvely mprove. If deteroraton n fsh condton occurs, ths must be nvestgated wth the ste veternary surgeon, fsh bologst or fsh health manager and remedal acton agreed and updated nto the VHWP. The log detalng fsh physcal health and damage must be avalable for nspecton by the RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer and Freedom Food Assessor. Dsease survellance Early dentfcaton of developng health problems s an mportant component of a VHWP, allowng prompt acton to be taken. Good stockmanshp s therefore crucal for the early recognton of dsease symptoms. See RSPCA welfare standards H 1.5 & H 1.8 It s essental that stock-keepers are sutably traned and experenced and are able to recognse ndcators of dsease at an early stage. Every effort should be made to establsh procedures to gve early warnng of dsease or health problems by approprate montorng technques, on-ste observatons, use of cameras and laboratory tests as necessary. The exact nature of these should be determned n dscusson wth the veternary surgeon and may nclude regular on-ste montorng and samplng and laboratory examnaton such as routne mcroscopc examnaton for the presence of parastes and the establshment of lce montorng as detaled above. The requrements of thrd party audtng of purchased stocks and the use of tests for detectng covert dsease should also be consdered. Procedures must be establshed for actons taken on suspcon of a dsease outbreak or health problem. Ths must nclude: personnel responsble for on-farm nvestgaton approprate on-farm samplng procedures nvolvement of the veternary surgeon and dagnostc laboratores submsson of approprate materal for nvestgaton notfcaton of dsease ncdence to approprate bodes f deemed necessary. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 49 September 2015

57 Appendx 1 Staff must be aware of the requrements regardng notfable dseases. All reasonable steps must be taken to facltate prompt dentfcaton, confrmaton and response should a notfable dsease be present. See RSPCA welfare standard H 1.3 Supply and applcaton of approprate therapeutc compounds must be ncluded n the VHWP ncludng procedures for the proper admnstraton of medcated feeds and bath treatments. Recordng It s essental that accurate health and producton records are kept on the farm. In addton to ther use as part of the day to day montorng of the health and condton of the stocks, they should also be part of the preventatve medcne plan and used n conjuncton wth mprovng health control and bosecurty measures. Revew procedures should be n place to montor trends and hghlght areas of concern whch may ndcate changes to systems and adjustments to the VHWP. The success or falure of any treatment or changes n management/husbandry procedures should also be recorded and revewed. Medcnal products See RSPCA welfare standards H 1.6 & H 1.8 The use of medcnal products must be detaled n the VHWP. Use must be mnmsed by hgh standards of management and husbandry and treatments restrcted to occasons when the welfare of the stocks s threatened. The VHWP shall detal currently avalable veternary medcnes lcensed for fsh and ther use n accordance wth current legslaton, ncludng wthdrawal perods and dscharge consents. Under exceptonal crcumstances the use of compounds under the prescrbng cascade may be advsed by the veternary surgeon; the detals of the cascade prncple wll be set out n the VHWP. See RSPCA welfare standards H 3.1 & H 3.10 The use of all medcnal products wll be recorded n full n an approprate medcnes book. All veternary products must be properly labelled and stored n an approprate locked cabnet. An up-to-date stock record must be mantaned and no out-of-date product retaned. Vaccnaton See RSPCA welfare standards FW 9.1 to FW A vaccnaton polcy must be agreed wth the farm's veternary surgeon establshng potental rsks and the organsms aganst whch the fsh can and wll be vaccnated. Full records must be mantaned of all vaccnaton procedures. Protocols for effectve and hygenc vaccnaton must be n place, ncludng approprate fsh health assessment pror to vaccnaton and montorng durng and followng the vaccnaton procedure. Procedures must be conducted wth care and wth the mnmum possble dstress to the fsh. All vaccnators must be traned and competent n vaccnatng technque, ncludng bosecurty, hygenc practces, health and safety and fsh handlng procedures. Approprate procedures must be n place for thrd party vaccnators and the vaccnaton of purchased stock, ncludng montorng of thrd party vaccnaton and suppled vaccnated stocks. These procedures must detal bosecurty precautons n place. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 50 September 2015

58 Appendx 1 At present vaccnes are avalable for the followng bacteral dseases: Furunculoss (Aeromonas salmoncda) Vbro angullarum usually two serotypes Wnter sore (Moratella vscosus) Htra dsease (Vbro salmoncda) Enterc redmouth (Yersna rucker). In the future, effectve Infectous Pancreatc Necross (IPN), Rckettsal and Pancreas Dsease (PD) vaccnes may be avalable. Choce of vaccne depends on level of threat and assessment of sde effects such as post-vaccne fungal nfecton and the level of abdomnal adhesons, both of whch may have a greater fsh welfare mplcaton than the dsease aganst whch the fsh s beng protected. 4. Tranng A programme of tranng relevant to the requrements of the VHWP should be detaled. Ths should nclude procedures for dentfyng and montorng tranng needs and progress by means of regular revews and management observatons. The establshment of nducton tranng for new personnel and a system of recordng tranng requrements, provson and performance. Although the majorty of management and husbandry procedures have some mpact on the health and welfare of the fsh, some specfc areas of tranng requrements are relevant to the demands of the VHWP: recognton of sgns of poor welfare or dsease symptoms nvestgaton of health and welfare problems admnstraton and recordng use of medcnal products vaccnaton sea lce montorng montorng fsh health handlng, crowdng, gradng fsh cullng humane slaughter. See RSPCA welfare standards M 2.2 to M 2.7 Wrtten records of staff tranng must be mantaned and be avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor and RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 51 September 2015

59 Appendx 1 5. Informaton on major common parastes and dseases Sea lce See RSPCA welfare standards H 4.1 to H Due to severe welfare problems caused by sea lce nfestaton, and the possble rsk to wld salmonds, farms must take all reasonable steps to mantan a mnmal ovgerous lce populaton. Farms must develop an ntegrated pest management polcy based on stockng/fallowng tmes, strategc treatment regmen and area management agreements. A sea lce preventon and treatment programme shall be drawn up n conjuncton wth the veternary surgeon; ths shall nclude frequency of montorng, samplng and montorng protocols and threshold lce levels trggerng treatments. The programme shall nclude agreed treatment regmes, treatment montorng to ensure fsh welfare, crtcal control and post-treatment montorng. Sea lce nfestaton must be montored on a weekly bass by samplng a mnmum of fve fsh from a representatve number of pens (dependng on the sze of the farm). To enable approprate choce and tmng of treatments, Lepeoptherus speces must be classfed nto moble, attached and gravd female stages; Calgus speces are counted but not grouped. A strategc treatment regme must be mplemented to avod the sprng settlement of hgh numbers of copepodd stages. Treatment regmes and choce of treatment must at all tmes consder the welfare of the fsh and preference must be gven to more welfare frendly treatments whenever possble, e.g. n-feed treatments are preferred to bath treatments; some bath treatments may be consdered by the veternary surgeon to be less damagng to fsh than other bath treatments. Consderaton must be gven to treatment strateges to avod the potental development of resstant lce. * Infectous Pancreatc Necross (IPN) vrus IPN can cause serous losses of fsh n freshwater and followng sea transfer of smolts. Losses can be as hgh as 50% wth affected fsh often showng few presentng symptoms. Outbreaks of clncal IPN are frequently related to levels of stress to whch fsh are subjected, partcularly at seawater transfer. Every effort must be made to ensure that stress s mnmsed and partcular attenton should be pad to the followng: adequate and contnung bosecurty and hygene avodng puttng nfected fsh to sea consderaton of stock selecton and possble susceptblty to IPN correct tmng of vaccnaton sze, health, condton and nutrtonal status of presmolts use of nutrceutcals, partcularly around sea transfer tmng of sea water transfer, judgement of smoltfcaton and the utlsaton of sea water tolerance tests mnmsng stress durng transport and keepng transport tmes to a mnmum frequent removal of dead and dyng fsh fallowng and area management agreements controllng other dsease condtons such as lce (whch can carry IPN vrus). There s no treatment for IPN and control s based upon avodance and payng attenton to the above factors. The practce of starvng the fsh at the frst sgn of the dsease s not thought to be an effectve control measure. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 52 September 2015

60 Fungal nfecton Appendx 1 Infecton wth Saprolegna fungus can result n serous dsease condtons n fresh water stages of salmon producton, ncludng the egg. Infecton can be partcularly severe at tmes when the fsh s resstance to the nfecton s low e.g. followng vaccnaton, at low temperatures, and when maturng. Damaged fsh are partcularly vulnerable when even very mnor damage removal of areas of mucus, scale loss, mnor fn eroson allows the germnaton of fungal spores (whch are ubqutous n the fresh water envronment), whch can lead to the development of serous skn, fn and tal lesons. The rsk of fungal nfecton vares between water sources, dependng on the nature of the water body, water chemstry etc. and t s essental that farmers are aware of the extent of the rsk posed. There are no very effectve treatments for establshed fungal nfecton, and control must rest wth mnmsng the rsk of nfecton. Strct attenton must be pad to hygenc practces and the cleanlness and santaton of equpment; accumulatons of drt, buldup of boflms, waste feed, faeces, and dead fsh all act as reservors for fungus. Dead, damaged and grossly nfected fsh and eggs must be removed from the water. All equpment and management procedures, such as crowdng and gradng, must am to mnmse any damage. Prorty should be gven to farmng practces whch are amed at mnmsng handlng the fsh, ncludng stockng polces, gradng, movng and transportaton. Vaccnaton protocols must nclude methods of mnmsng subsequent fungal nfecton ncludng hygene, vaccnaton technque, consderaton of choce of vaccne, nettng and handlng, and the use of wet vaccnaton technque. Consderaton should also be gven to the use of nutrceutcals pror to vaccnaton, and the prophylactc use of avalable ant-fungal agents post-vaccnaton. Algae/Jellyfsh blooms Blooms of marne (and occasonally freshwater) phytoplankton (algae) and jellyfsh (e.g. Solmars corona) have the potental for causng severe damage and heavy losses of farmed salmon. Algae may affect the fsh by producng toxns, by reducng oxygen levels at nght and when they de off, and by beng drectly rrtant to the glls and skn. Smlarly, jellyfsh can be drectly damagng by stngng, rrtatng and accumulatng wthn the glls, and by reducng water flows and oxygen levels. Indrect damage to fsh can occur as a result of stress and escape responses. Affected fsh appear rrtated, may porpose n the water, go off ther feed and show lethargy, skn damage and pale/damaged glls. Acute losses can occur due to the toxc and/or oxygen depletng propertes of the algae. Montorng for these blooms must be carred out, partcularly durng the perod Aprl October, when blooms commonly occur. Montorng should be carred out usng secc dscs, dssolved oxygen loggng, and by takng and preservng water samples for examnaton. Approprate procedures must be establshed to deal wth a suspect algal/jellyfsh bloom, ncludng stoppng feedng, avodng any stress to the fsh, and the use of aeraton systems/skrts. Montorng, area management agreements, early warnng, and response must be ntegral to the long-term management of blooms. * Gll Dsease Gll Dsease n Atlantc Salmon durng the marne phase of ther lfecycle s caused by a range of pathogens, and ncludes condtons such as Amoebc Gll Dsease (AGD) and Prolferatve Gll Dsease (PGD). Recently, AGD has become more prevalent, and whlst the reasons for the prolferaton of the organsms causng the condton are not fully understood, certan factors such as water temperature, salnty, smolt sze and qualty are key determnants contrbutng to the prevalence of the dsease. Treatments nclude bathng n hydrogen peroxde or freshwater. The tmng and admnstraton of these treatments are key factors n terms of nfluencng the success of these procedures, as s the requrement to make them as stress free as possble for the fsh nvolved. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 53 September 2015

61 Deformty Appendx 1 Varous deformtes can occur n stocks of farmed salmon, many of these may not show grossly untl the fsh are on-growng n the sea, although the problem may have been ntated at a much earler stage. A number of deformtes have been dentfed ncludng spnal, jaw, operculum and heart, often n combnaton. The cause s often uncertan although genetc, hatchery, handlng and nutrtonal factors have been suggested. The deformed fsh may be more vulnerable to handlng, stress, and be partcularly susceptble to loss durng bath treatments. The presence and extent of any deformtes should be montored from as early stage as possble and any possble causes nvestgated. Factors n the hatchery whch have been mplcated, such as hgh and fluctuatng temperatures, hgh carbon doxde levels etc., must be avoded and due consderaton must be gven to the management and handlng of affected fsh, ncludng possble gradng out and cullng. 6. Classfcaton of causes of death Often t s dffcult to assgn a specfc cause of death. It s usually only possble n relatvely recently dead fsh and frequent removal of dead fsh from pens helps ths. If there s any doubt as to cause, t s better ntally to classfy as unspecfed, to carry out some dagnostc nvestgaton and to reclassfy subsequently f a cause has been more clearly ascertaned. See RSPCA welfare standards M 3.6 to M 3.8 Classfcatons: unspecfed runt predator damage other damage (handlng, gradng, net) bacteral dsease (furunculoss, Vbro, wnter leson, Rckettsa may wsh to categorse separately) lce parastes (freshwater) fungus IPN PD the presence of feed n the gut (express faeces from gut for testng). RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 54 September 2015

62 Appendx 1 Part B: VHWP gudelnes on ensurng fsh welfare at slaughter Steve Kestn BSc PhD, Unversty of Brstol 1. Introducton It s now wdely accepted that fsh experence sufferng f they are stressed or njured. Durng slaughter, stress and pan can all too easly be caused to fsh unless the process s carred out carefully. Ths s because stress can occur durng the pre-slaughter crowd, when fsh can panc and njure themselves, and when oxygen levels can become depleted. Durng the slaughter process njury and pan can be caused f the process s not correctly carred out. The purpose of ths secton s to provde gudelnes on how to prevent fsh becomng stressed and to dentfy whether the fsh are beng stunned effectvely. Ths allows people nvolved n fsh slaughterng operatons to check that the process s beng carred out humanely. Improvng fsh welfare at slaughter s not the only reason to carry out the process carefully. There are also commercal benefts to reducng stress and njury at slaughter. These wll also be brefly covered. 2. What s humane slaughter? The same requrements for humane slaughter must apply to farmed fsh as to other farmed anmals. Methods used should ether cause death nstantly or render fsh nsensble to pan and dstress untl dead. In order to ensure that fsh are beng humanely klled, we need to be able to check that they are not experencng dstress or pan. 3. What parts of the operaton do we need to examne? There are two basc operatons n slaughterng fsh that need to be consdered: crowdng the fsh and delverng them to the slaughter table kllng them. We need dfferent technques to assess each part but t s mportant to vew the operaton as a whole. The welfare and commercal benefts of a humane kllng operaton wll only occur f both parts are carefully handled. 4. Assessng the pre-slaughter crowd Durng the pre-slaughter crowdng we need to make sure the fsh are not stressed or njured. Typcally, durng the crowd, the densty of fsh wll be ncreased near the ntake of a fsh pump or so that they can be netted out. Ths crowdng may be done usng a sweep net or by reducng the depth of the enclosure net, or by a combnaton of both. Crowdng a small populaton wth a sene net s generally preferable to crowdng a whole enclosure. See RSPCA welfare standards HP 2.13 to HP 2.14 Increasng the densty of fsh s necessary for the operaton to be effcent, but t s mportant that the fsh are not frghtened nto vgorous actvty lke fast swmmng, escape attempts, or 'burrowng' nto the net. Fast swmmng, escape attempts and burrowng are clear sgns that fsh are stressed. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 55 September 2015

63 Appendx 1 5. The feed-back loop In a pre-slaughter crowd, f fsh are frghtened or pancked nto swmmng fast, several thngs happen: they use up oxygen n the water faster. Ths n turn wll cause further panc as the fsh try to fnd better qualty water the fsh njure themselves on the enclosure net and on each other, leadng to further panc (and ncreased downgradng from scale loss, njury and brusng) the more the fsh swm fast, the more muscle glycogen they use up. Ths wll mean that the carcasses wll be prone to gapng and could have paler flesh. In a pre-slaughter crowd, once fsh start to panc and swm vgorously the stuaton can easly get out of hand and result n mortalty and downgradng. Crowdng must be done gently and carefully so that fsh do not panc, or years of care rearng top qualty fsh can be undone n a few mnutes. 6. Sgns to watch out for In a carefully crowded enclosure, the fsh wll look calm. Fsh wll be swmmng lesurely. Obvously they wll be encounterng other fsh frequently but they wll avod them wth a flck of the tal. Fsh wll slde along the net and turn casually when they reach an obstructon. No fsh wll be burrowng nto the enclosure net tryng to escape. Only the odd dorsal fn of fsh wll be breakng the surface. When fsh are stressed n a pre-slaughter crowd, fsh wll be swmmng fast and could be tryng to burrow nto the bottom, sdes or corners of the net tryng to escape. If parts of the back of any fsh, n addton to the dorsal fn, are exposed when they swm close to the surface or over each other, then they are almost certanly crowded too much. Fsh scales seen suspended n the water column downstream from crowded fsh are a clear sgn that the crowd s too dense and fsh are damagng themselves. Snout damage n the form of sore or bleedng snouts seen on fsh after slaughter s also a clear sgn that fsh have been burrowng nto the net. If any of the sgns of stressed fsh are seen, the fsh need to be gven more room quckly. Dssolved oxygen n the water must be montored durng the crowd but montorng oxygen s not a substtute for observng the fsh for sgns of stress. See RSPCA welfare standards HP 2.18 and HP Mantanng a good crowd It s mportant to realse that fsh wll be stressed even n a well-crowded enclosure. Therefore, t s mportant that the maxmum crowd duraton s not too long. Generally, two hours should be regarded as a maxmum crowd duraton. See RSPCA welfare standards HP 2.13 and HP 2.14 There s a fne lne between a crowd that s too dense, causng excessve actvty n the fsh, and a crowd that s not dense enough to mantan an adequate flow of fsh to the kllng table. The best way to acheve an adequate but not excessve densty of fsh s to reduce the volume avalable gradually as fsh are removed. As a gude, n a good crowd the net wll be reduced at approxmately 15-mnute ntervals, and at more frequent ntervals when there are few fsh remanng. When pullng the enclosure nets or sweep net to crowd the fsh, try to avod areas where the net s shallow just below the surface, or folds causng pockets n the net. These wll cause fsh to panc f they become trapped. To manage the crowd carefully, t should be the responsblty of one person to ensure the fsh are carefully crowded and ths person should have no other responsbltes or tasks to perform to dstract hm/her. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 56 September 2015

64 Appendx 1 8. Methods for conveyng fsh to the slaughter table The transfer operaton should not njure or stress fsh. It should be carred out quckly usng equpment specfcally desgned for the job. Ppe lnes should be kept short (no more than 10 meters), so that fsh are not beng stressed n the ppe for too long. Obvously, there must be a method for quckly gettng fsh out of the ppe n the event of equpment breakdown as fsh can de n a ppe from lack of oxygen n only a few mnutes. Fsh should ext the ppe onto the slaughterng table n a way that does not lead to njury, meanng that they must not have to drop down onto a de-waterer or the table. Ar-lft pumps, ventur pumps, vacuum pumps and crane operated bralles are all used to transfer fsh to kllng operatons. Generally, ar-lft and ventur pumps are preferred as they damage and stress fsh less. Examne a sample of about 50 fsh mmedately after slaughter for evdence of scale or skn loss or njury caused by handlng equpment lke ppes and pumps. As a gude, f any of the fsh have areas of recent scale loss etc. larger than a two pence con, the equpment needs to be examned and mproved. See RSPCA welfare standards HP 1.1 to HP 1.6 The whole crowdng and pumpng operaton should delver fsh to the kllng table n a steady stream and at a pace that the slaughter team can cope wth. The kllng team should be able to adjust the flow of fsh from the table easly. Stunners should be postoned on the table n such a way that handlng of fsh pror to stunnng s reduced to an absolute mnmum. On a well-desgned kllng table, fsh can be gently guded nto the stunner wthout strugglng. When fsh arrve on the table, to mnmse stress and njury, they must be stunned mmedately. As a gude, operators should am to stun fsh wthn fve seconds of arrval on the table. 9. Managng a good stunnng operaton Frst, the stunnng machnes should be set up and mantaned regularly accordng to the manufacturer manuals. The pressure of the ar delvered to the machnes should be clearly vsble and checked aganst the machne manufacturer recommendatons, and logged at least twce per shft. A record of checks and mantenance should be kept. Second, operators should be famlar wth the operaton of the machne. Durng tranng they should practse wth a dead fsh to perfect ther technque of capture and presentaton for stunnng before kllng any lve fsh. It s crtcally mportant for fsh welfare that the machne hts the fsh accurately and hard. If stunnng s correctly carred out, the fsh wll not recover from the blow, even f t s not bled. If fsh are not ht hard or accurately, they wll be njured or could recover conscousness and wll suffer. Because poor stunnng could cause so much sufferng, we need to ensure that all fsh are beng stunned effectvely. See RSPCA welfare standards S 1.1 to S 1.11 RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 57 September 2015

65 Appendx Assessng the effectveness of stunnng Frst, watch fsh arrvng at the stunnng table from the fsh pump. Tme how long t s between a partcular fsh arrvng and t beng stunned. Note down the tme and then repeat for about ten fsh. Work out the average. As a gude, f the average 'arrval to stunnng tme' s more than fve seconds then the operaton needs to be mproved. Reduce the flow of fsh to the table by slowng the fsh pump and/or reducng the crowd densty. Then look at the ergonomcs of the kllng table. Could fsh delvery, presentaton or handlng be mproved by modfyng the table wth dvders or hgher/lower edges or rubber mats, placng the stunners n a dfferent poston or are more stunnng machnes needed? It s surprsng how many kllng tables are ergonomcally not well lad out. Try modfcatons to the table wth temporary wood parttons etc. and evaluate the effectveness of these modfcatons before havng the table modfed by professonals. Second, observe the stunnng operaton. Count how many stunnng blows are needed to stun a partcular fsh. Note down the number and then repeat for about ten fsh. If fsh requre more than one stunnng blow, then the operaton and/or set up of the stunner needs to be mproved. Check that the operator s presentng fsh correctly, that suffcent ar pressure s avalable and that the machnes have been mantaned and are not obstructed n any way. Re-evaluate the stunnng process. If fsh requre more than one stunnng blow, then the operaton must be stopped and the manufacturers of the machne need to be contacted. Note that the unconscousness nduced by percussve stunnng should be mmedate and permanent.e. the fsh should not recover from the blow, even f t s not bled. Bleedng s not part of the kllng operaton but s done for flesh qualty reasons. 11. Determnng whether fsh are adequately stunned Observe fsh mmedately after stunnng. In a properly stunned fsh a reflex shudder or tal flap wll usually occur for a few seconds after stunnng. Do not be worred about ths reflex movement f t lasts for up to four seconds. But f movement lasts for much more than four seconds, t s not a reflex and stunnng s not beng done effectvely. If there s no overt movement n fsh after four seconds, pck the fsh up and examne t. Look for sgns of rhythmc breathng and eye roll. These are the best sgns to look for to determne f the fsh s properly stunned. Ths s because rhythmc breathng and eye roll are both sgns of bran stem actvty f they are absent t s safe to conclude that the fsh s deeply unconscous. Rhythmc breathng appears as rhythmc movements of the operculum (gll cover) (and sometmes the mouth). Note that occasonally fsh that have been properly stunned wll flare ther glls a few mnutes after stunnng. Ths s a reflex acton and, provded t s not repeated more than a couple of tmes, can be gnored. To observe eye roll, wth the fsh lyng on ts sde, look at the movement of the eye when the fsh s rolled uprght and then back agan. In a stunned or dead fsh the eye wll reman flat and fxed n the skull. In a conscous fsh or one that has not been properly stunned (.e. wth bran functon), the eye wll appear to move n the eye socket, tryng to reman uprght when the fsh s rolled onto ts sde. If there s no sgn of rhythmc breathng or eye roll then the fsh s properly stunned. If rhythmc breathng or eye roll can be observed, then the fsh s not adequately stunned. Practce observng rhythmc breathng and eye roll on a few fsh before they are stunned so that you know what to look for. Make sure that all people nvolved n stunnng and bleedng fsh know that f a fsh s fghtng or respondng to handlng n any way t s not unconscous and must be stunned before anythng else s done to t. If a fsh responds to handlng or the cut of the knfe when exsangunated then t s defntely not stunned. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 58 September 2015

66 Appendx Assessng the stunnng operaton See RSPCA welfare standard S 1.9 Use the smple ndcators of bran functon to estmate the effcacy of the stunnng operaton at least once each day fsh are klled and partcularly when new equpment or operators are used. Examne at least 50 fsh pcked at random and stunned by all operators and machnes. As a gude, f any of these fsh respond to handlng or show any sgns of rhythmc breathng or eye roll they are nadequately stunned and the causes need to be dentfed and rectfed. Make a note of the results of each assessment and any acton taken n the kllng log. 13. Exsangunaton (bleedng) Remember that properly carred out, percussve stunnng s permanent. Bleedng s carred out to mprove the flesh qualty of fsh. In most cases, bleedng s done by cuttng all the glls arches on one sde of the fsh. Ths should be done reasonably soon after stunnng. But, contrary to popular belef, a beatng heart s not necessary for effectve bleed out. 14. Fnally See RSPCA welfare standard S 1.7 Each person nvolved n kllng should be aware of the mportance of good kllng practce. Ths means mnmsed stress or njury before slaughter, and rapd and effectvely appled stunnng. The sgns to look for are lesurely swmmng fsh n the crowd pen, and stll carcasses after stunnng. In partcular, there should be no movement n the bleedng/cng tub. The overall stress of a slaughter operaton can easly be assessed f the pattern of rgor onset and resoluton s measured. Salmon klled wthout stress enter rgor after approxmately 40 hours. When salmon are stressed before they are klled, they can enter rgor very rapdly, typcally n less than 15 hours. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 59 September 2015

67 Appendx Summary of observatons and measurements to make durng fsh slaughter Observe the behavour of fsh n the pre-slaughter crowd pen Look for the followng sgns of low stress: fsh swmmng lesurely fsh sldng along net, turnng casually when obstructed only the odd dorsal fn of fsh breaks the surface. Look for the followng sgns of hgh stress: fsh tryng to burrow nto the bottom, sdes or corners of the net fsh tryng to escape from folds n the net or shallow areas parts of the back of fsh exposed when fsh swm close to the surface or over each other fsh scales suspended n the water column downstream from enclosure oxygen levels below 5.5 mg/l. Check the kllng equpment and staff Check: pressure of the ar delvered to the stunnng machnes mantenance log of stunnng machnes operators are famlar wth the operaton of the machne operators, technque of capture and presentaton for stunnng s good. Watch the stunnng operaton work out the average 'arrval on table to stun' nterval. If more than fve seconds the operaton needs to be mproved observe the number of blows needed to stun fsh. If more than one blow s needed the operaton needs to be mproved. Examne a sample of 50 fsh mmedately after slaughter Look for: carcass movement lastng more than four seconds n any fsh, stunnng s not beng done effectvely sgns of rhythmc breathng and eye roll f ether present, stunnng s not beng done effectvely snout damage n the form of sore or bleedng snouts sgn of poor pre-slaughter crowd scale or skn loss or njury sgns of poor handlng equpment (pumps and ppes etc). RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 60 September 2015

68 Appendx 1 Part C: Development of a programme for montorng physcal njury and deformty Introducton Regular montorng of fsh for sgns of physcal damage or deformty s an mportant part of management so that welfare problems do not go undetected. However, t can be dffcult to observe ndvdual fsh clearly due to the large number of anmals and the sze of enclosures. Whenever husbandry procedures allow closer proxmty to fsh, the opportunty should be taken for more detaled observaton. In addton there should be detaled montorng of fsh health at slaughter where careful examnatons of ndvduals for dsease, njury and deformty can be made. The RSPCA welfare standards requre that there s no recurrng physcal damage occurrng on fsh attrbutable to features of ther envronment, husbandry procedures or unrecognsed dsease challenge. Incdence of physcal damage must be regularly montored at slaughter accordng to a programme specfed n the VHWP (see Part A for more detals). Ths programme must nclude keepng records to show that physcal health scorng has been regularly conducted on a sample of fsh at slaughter. The records must also gve detals of the levels of physcal damage observed durng montorng, for example, the percentage of fsh wth fn damage, de-scalng, wounds etc. Records should be dscussed wth the veternary surgeon, and the VHWP must be regularly updated to dentfy and rectfy the causes of any physcal health problems that become evdent durng montorng. There follows a gude for a possble montorng programme whch could be used at slaughter. Examples are gven of the types of condton whch should be montored. The proporton of fsh affected should be recorded. Some photographc scales (see pages 62 to 63) are also presented to demonstrate how the severty of some types of damage could be assessed. Possble montorng programme The condtons whch are to be montored must be specfed n the VHWP. It s suggested these nclude: eye damage/loss snout njures fn damage (dorsal, pectoral, pelvc, tal) deformtes (jaw, operculum, spne) scale/skn damage (due to abrason, sea lce etc). Examples are gven below of scales that could be used to record the severty of the condton for each fsh assessed. Each fsh s gven a score of 0, 1 or 2 for each condton. Score 0 ndcates the fsh s completely normal, Score 1 s used for fsh that are mldly affected, Score 2 s used for severely affected fsh. Photographc scales are also gven to suggest examples of dfferent scores. These photographs llustrate the type of damage whch may be seen, but are not ntended to be exhaustve. For some condtons, the severty, age, and extent of damage can vary consderably. Scorng wll be somewhat subjectve. The mportant factor s for the person assessng fsh to be consstent when scorng n order to be able to montor any changes n damage levels. When drawng up a montorng programme there should be an ntal tral of the scorng system, wth a sample of fsh beng removed from the slaughter lne after kllng and transferred to an examnaton bench. The process s easer f two people are nvolved. Each of the condtons should be carefully examned on each fsh, by one observer, and a score assgned. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 61 September 2015

69 Appendx 1 Once a method of usng the scales has been establshed and scorng can be conducted consstently, assessments can be started on a random sample of fsh. A recorder should stand behnd the assessor and wrte down the scores as they were called out. A random sample of 150 fsh on the slaughter lne should be assessed (trals have shown approxmately 150 fsh can be assessed n one hour by an experenced team). Use of the scales n the Freedom Food scheme The results from ths assessment should be used to dentfy areas where welfare can be mproved on the farm, by dentfyng causes of physcal damage and takng acton to rectfy the stuaton. Records of physcal damage scale assessment must be kept and made avalable to the Freedom Food Assessor and RSPCA Farm Lvestock Offcer, along wth detals of any acton taken as a result of the assessment. It s expected that the VHWP wll be regularly updated, n consultaton wth the veternary surgeon, to reflect the results of the physcal damage scorng assessment. Suggested scorng system The table below shows the score gven to a fsh for each condton dependng on the severty of damage. Score gven to fsh Also note: Eye loss/damage None One eye Both eyes Type of damage Snout njury None Mld Severe Jaw deformty None Mld Severe Type and level of damage Operculum deformty None Mld Severe and/or both sdes Dorsal fn damage. Type and level of damage None Mld Severe Pectoral fn damage None Mld Severe and/or both sdes Tal fn damage None Mld Severe Spne deformty None Mld Severe Scale loss/skn damage None < 10% each sde and superfcal > 10% each sde and/or deep skn damage Sea lce damage None Mld Severe RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 62 September 2015

70 Appendx 1 Photographc examples for scorng Suggested examples of normal, mld and severe for condtons classfed n ths way (note: eye loss/damage and scale loss have a dfferent classfcaton and no examples are gven) Pectoral fn damage Dorsal fn damage Operculum deformty Jaw deformty Snout njury RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 63 September 2015

71 Appendx Spnal deformty Tal fn damage These photographs are part of a larger set of photographc scales whch have been developed by the Unversty of Brstol for use durng on-farm assessment of farmed fsh welfare. The copyrght for these mages belongs to the Unversty of Brstol. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 64 September 2015

72 Appendx 2 Crowd ntensty scale A smple fsh behavour scale from 1 5 may be used as a gude to managng acute stress,.e.: Goal 1. Essentally no fns breakng the surface of the water. Acceptable 2. Fns above the water over a small part of the surface of the crowd. Undesrable 3. Fns and part of the fsh above the water over the whole surface of the crowd. Some burrowng, gaspng and vgorous actvty n parts of the crowd. Unacceptable 4. The whole surface of the crowd vgorously burrowng, gaspng and splashng. 5. Whole surface of the pen bolng wth volent splashng. Level 1: Goal low stress, no vgorous actvty Observatons: Fsh n the sdes of the crowd swmmng slowly. Normal swmmng behavour, but not all n the same drecton. No dorsal fns on surface. No whte sdes on surface. Level 2: Acceptable some fns on surface Observatons: Normal swmmng behavour at sucton pont, low stress. Few dorsal fns on surface. No whte sdes on surface. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 65 September 2015

73 Appendx 2 * Level 3: Undesrable Observatons: Over-excted swmmng behavour (dfferent drectons). More than 20 dorsal fns on surface. Some whte sdes constantly on surface. * Level 4: Unacceptable overcrowdng Observatons: Over-excted swmmng behavour (dfferent drectons). Some fsh decreasng actvty. Pumpng rate: Not possble to keep a constant rate. Many fsh stuck up aganst the crowd net. Many dorsal fns on surface and numerous whte sdes on surface. A few very lethargc fsh. Level 5: Unacceptable extreme overcrowdng Observatons: Whole crowd bolng. Potental for large fsh kll wthout rapd release. Reproduced wth knd permsson of Alastar Smart of Smart Aqua, Aquaculture, Hazelwood Park, South Australa. * Please note that the photographs for levels 3 and 4 as receved have been reordered n consultaton wth the RSPCA Salmon Standards Workng Group. RSPCA welfare standards for farmed Atlantc salmon 66 September 2015