Utilizing Wild Lumpfish Insights to Enhance Welfare and Performance of Lumpfish in Aquaculture

Over the past two decades, the salmon farming industry in the Faroe Islands has experienced significant growth, positioning the archipelago as the fifth-largest Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) producer globally, despite its population of only 55,000 residents. Similar to other Atlantic salmon producers, the industry faces challenges from sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis), which pose a significant threat to both farmed salmon and wild trout populations. To combat sea lice infestations, the Faroese salmon farming industry has shifted away from chemical treatments toward non-chemical solutions, including the use of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) as cleaner fish.
In 2014, the Faroese salmon producer Hiddenfjord became the first to deploy lumpfish as cleaner fish in salmon cages, marking the beginning of their use in the Faroe Islands’ aquaculture industry. Since then, lumpfish have become an integral part of salmon farming, serving as natural cleaners to control sea lice infestations. Despite their widespread use, high mortality rates and welfare concerns have raised questions about their long-term sustainability. This has led to a decline in lumpfish use in both the Faroe Islands and Norway (Østerø et al., 2024).
As lumpfish use in salmon farming was still in its early stages, the initial years were marked by trial and error, with farmers
and researchers refining their approaches through hands-on experience. The small size of the Faroe Islands (Photo 1) allows for close collaboration between the industry, public institutions, and researchers, enabling the swift exchange of knowledge and the rapid implementation of solutions to industry challenges.