Pompano is an increasingly important sea cage species in Vietnam and the Philippines, with welfare conditions in intensive marine cage systems requiring attention.
Welfare concerns in pompano sea cage culture include high stocking densities causing chronic stress, jellyfish and plankton blooms causing gill damage and mortality, disease outbreaks especially from Streptococcus infection, handling injuries during grading and sorting, and absence of humane slaughter protocols. Vietnamese aquaculture certification is expanding welfare criteria.