Striped bass and hybrid striped bass are farmed in recirculating systems in the USA, with welfare considerations both for farmed fish and wild stocks subjected to recreational fishing pressure.
Striped bass welfare considerations span both farmed and wild populations. In aquaculture, the species tolerates intensive recirculating systems reasonably well but requires good water quality management as it is sensitive to dissolved oxygen fluctuations. Handling for grading, vaccination, and transport causes cortisol elevation and stress responses. In recreational fishing, catch-and-release practices may impose welfare costs on individual fish through air exposure, lactic acid accumulation from fighting, and hook injuries. Research on post-release survival suggests that proper handling — keeping fish in water, minimising air exposure, and using circle hooks — significantly improves welfare outcomes for released fish.