Wild-caught European sea bass from recreational and commercial fisheries face welfare considerations during capture, handling and either live release or killing that have received growing attention in fisheries welfare research.
Sea bass capture welfare spans both commercial and recreational contexts. In recreational fisheries, catch-and-release handling technique significantly affects survival and welfare of released fish. Wet-hand handling, minimising air exposure and rapid unhooking all reduce welfare impacts. Commercial capture using trawl or longline methods causes stress and injury that can be reduced through gear modification and rapid killing.