Sea cucumbers are increasingly farmed in Asia for food and traditional medicine, with welfare considerations similar to other marine invertebrates.
Sea cucumber welfare in aquaculture is uncertain given their decentralized nervous system and limited evidence for conscious experience. Evisceration in response to handling stress is a notable behavioral indicator of stress response, though whether this involves subjective suffering is unknown. In aquaculture, sea cucumbers are typically held in ponds or sea pens at varying densities. Temperature and salinity extremes cause physiological stress and mortality. Sea cucumbers serve important ecosystem functions in integrated aquaculture systems where they process waste from other species. The precautionary welfare principle suggests avoiding unnecessary stress during handling and processing, while acknowledging uncertainty about the nature of their experience.