Welfare considerations in carp farming, the most widely farmed finfish globally by volume, covering Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.
Carp welfare receives relatively little research attention despite the enormous scale of production. As cold-tolerant omnivores, carp are resilient but not immune to welfare problems. Overcrowding causes competition and stress. Poor water quality - especially low oxygen during hot summer algae blooms or winter ice cover - causes hypoxia distress. Harvest by pond drainage exposes fish to cold air and physical trauma. Transport and slaughter welfare standards lag behind those for salmonids. The scale of carp farming means that even modest welfare improvements represent significant benefits for large numbers of animals.