The trajectory of aquaculture welfare over coming decades depends on regulatory development, technological innovation, consumer demand, and the integration of welfare science into production systems.
Aquaculture welfare futures involve both technological and governance dimensions. Technological advances including AI welfare monitoring, welfare-optimised closed systems, and improved stunning technology could dramatically improve fish welfare if adopted broadly. Governance advances including mandatory welfare reporting, certification requirements for premium markets, and international welfare standards could drive adoption of welfare improvements across the sector. The critical variable is whether these improvements are integrated into expanding production or confined to premium niche markets while the majority of global production remains unregulated for welfare.