The rapid growth of the aquaculture sector over the past forty years can be closely linked to advances in science
and technology. Some innovations in biotechnology have proven more controversial than others, and nonemore
so than proposals for transgenic fish. Such innovations introduce concerns for the responsible governance of research
and innovation for aquaculture, particularly in recognition of the significant uncertainties and high stakes
characterising these technologies. This paper argues in favour of a participatory approach to the governance of
contentious aquaculture technologies that includes an ‘upstream’ regard for their ethical and social implications.
From this point of departure, the paper presents empirical research that employed one particular approach to
engage aquaculture stakeholders fromNorthern Europe in deliberation over the ethical and social considerations
of transgenic growth-enhanced salmon, using the ‘ethical matrix’ tool. This research explores the complexity of
considerations raised by these small groups of diverse and knowledgeable stakeholders across workshops in
Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom, and links them with wider ethical discussions in the bioethics
literature. The dual ambitions of the paper are to first provide insights into an applied approach for incorporating
ethical reasoning in processes for responsible aquaculture techno-innovation, and second to provide an appreciation
for the plurality of considerations that decision-makers need to navigate and carefully weigh when
reaching a decision on the appropriateness of the particular transgenic growth-enhanced salmon.