An assessment of different fish killing and slaughter methods used in aquaculture, from most to least humane, and the case for improved standards.
Fish slaughter welfare is one of the most neglected areas of food animal welfare. Conventional methods including live chilling, ice slurry, and asphyxiation cause prolonged death and likely significant suffering in animals with demonstrated pain responses. The aquaculture industry has been slower than the livestock sector to implement stunning before killing, partly because the welfare status of fish was disputed for longer. Evidence now clearly supports immediate stunning as the welfare-preferred approach.