Surgical implantation of bio-loggers in Atlantic salmon (Salma salar L.)

Farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) is included in animal welfare legislation to the same levels of protection as other animals. Wellbeing and care result in good health of fish. Atlantic salmon are exposed to various types of stress throughout the life cycle such as sorting, transportation, vaccination, medicinal treatments, lice counting and delousing.In addition, external influences include increased/decreased water temperatures and oxygen levels in the water can cause stress. Fish welfare on-site can be monitored by using implantable bio-loggers. These loggers give us the opportunity to test in a systematic manner fish health and welfare parameters. Thus, we would like to document cardiovascular performance post stresses incurred to farmed Atlantic salmon using bio-loggers. The expected distress to the animal is thought to be vaccine and handlings as they are common farming practices (handling/vaccination).There are no alternatives to using live fish, as stress response must be measured on the entire animal. In this study we will use 190 salmon. However, the number used in the experiment is limited to that which will provide significant results (assuming an alpha value of 0,05 and a power of 0,8).The fish will be closely monitored and if fish shows permanent discomfort after the stress then the experiment abandon.