Research into fish cognition has revealed sophisticated learning, memory, and social abilities with significant implications for how we understand and protect fish welfare.
Cognitive complexity in fish indicates a richer inner life than the fish-as-reflexive-automaton view that has historically been used to justify their exclusion from welfare consideration. Fish that demonstrate learning, memory, social awareness, and contextual behaviour are likely to experience positive and negative states that constitute welfare in a morally relevant sense. Regulatory frameworks for fish welfare have lagged significantly behind the evidence for fish cognition. Consumer and policy expectations should be updated to reflect the scientific evidence.