Rainbow trout are among the most commonly farmed fish globally; welfare challenges in trout aquaculture include crowding, handling stress, and slaughter methods that vary significantly between producers.
Rainbow trout welfare in aquaculture spans the production cycle from hatchery stocking to harvest. Key welfare challenges include density-related aggression at feeding, stress from grading and sorting procedures, and slaughter methods that range from welfare-positive percussive stunning to welfare-negative live chilling. RSPCA Assured certification for rainbow trout provides a meaningful welfare benchmark; supporting certified products creates market incentives for welfare investment across the sector.