The working conditions of fishing crews affect the quality of animal welfare decisions made at sea, creating a human-animal welfare intersection that is rarely acknowledged.
The connection between fishing crew welfare and fish welfare is real and practical: fatigued, underpaid, and stressed crews make worse welfare decisions regarding bycatch release, stunning, and handling. Vessels with good crew conditions, adequate rest periods, and positive working cultures show better animal welfare outcomes at sea. The welfare case for fishing crew labour standards is therefore not only a human rights case but an animal welfare case — improving the conditions of the humans handling fish at sea improves outcomes for the fish.