Fish Slaughter and Stunning Methods

Most farmed fish are killed without prior stunning. Evidence for fish sentience makes pre-slaughter stunning an ethical imperative comparable to mammal and bird slaughter requirements.

Key Facts

The EU requires pre-slaughter stunning for farmed terrestrial animals but not fish
Percussive stunning (a sharp blow to the head) is the most accessible fish stunning method
CO2 narcosis in fish causes behavioural distress before unconsciousness
Electrical stunning followed by spiking is considered best practice for large salmonids
An estimated 73 billion farmed fish are killed annually, most without prior stunning

Welfare Considerations

The slaughter of farmed fish without prior stunning represents one of the most significant unaddressed welfare problems in food production. Fish that are alive and conscious experience the aversive stimuli of killing for seconds to minutes. Asphyxiation in air, live chilling, and CO2 narcosis are common kill methods that involve prolonged consciousness. The evidence for fish sentience from nociception research makes this comparable to killing farmed pigs or chickens without stunning - which would be illegal in the EU and UK. Regulatory reform is urgently needed.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory pre-slaughter stunning requirements for farmed fish
Support the Fish Welfare Initiative campaigns for regulatory reform
Choose fish from farms using percussive or electrical stunning at slaughter
Engage with retailers about their slaughter welfare requirements for fish suppliers
Support research validating fish stunning methods for different species and sizes