Artificial Intelligence for Salmon Farming: Perception, Welfare Modelling, and Decision Support

Salmon farming can help provide nutritious food for a growing population, but managing fish in large sea cages is challenging because farmers often have incomplete information about the environment, fish welfare, disease risks, and regulations.

My PhD research explores how artificial intelligence can help make salmon farming more informed, transparent, and responsible. I developed AI methods to detect salmon lice in seawater images, extract useful welfare knowledge from scientific literature, and support farm-management decisions using evidence from regulations and other relevant information.

Together, these methods show how AI can turn large amounts of data and knowledge into practical information for farmers and other stakeholders. The aim is not to replace human judgement, but to help people make better-informed decisions about fish health, welfare, environmental risks, and regulatory compliance. The approaches may also be useful for other aquaculture and animal-production systems facing similar challenges.