Scientific understanding of fish sentience and welfare has advanced considerably in recent decades. Fish show behavioral and physiological responses consistent with pain experience, informing both aquaculture practice and wild fisheries management.
The question of whether fish experience suffering in a morally relevant way has shifted from philosophical debate to scientific consensus that at minimum warrants the precautionary principle. Even if the subjective experience differs from mammals, the behavioral evidence for pain-like responses is substantial across many species. This has profound implications for the billions of fish caught and farmed annually. Improving fish welfare requires changes at every level from policy to consumer choice.