European perch farming is expanding as a premium freshwater species with specific welfare challenges from aggressive behaviour and disease susceptibility.
European perch welfare in aquaculture is challenged by the species' aggressive predatory nature. Cannibalism among size-disparate juveniles causes both welfare harm to victims and stress to the population as a whole. High stocking density amplifies aggression and disease transmission. As active predatory fish, perch have higher space and stimulation requirements than many farmed species. Welfare-conscious perch farming manages size grading carefully to reduce cannibalism, maintains optimal water quality, and provides appropriate stocking densities for this species' behavioural needs.