Mackerel and Herring Welfare: Small Pelagic Fish at Scale

Small pelagic fish like mackerel and herring are caught and processed at enormous scale; their welfare during capture and death receives minimal attention despite evidence of pain capacity.

Key Facts

Global herring and mackerel catch combined exceeds 8 million tonnes annually
Purse seine nets encircle entire shoals, concentrating fish in shrinking areas
Crowding stress in purse seines causes physiological responses consistent with acute stress in fish
Small pelagics are often processed alive — chilled in ice slurry for slow asphyxiation
Mackerel and herring have complex social behaviors and schooling cognition

Welfare Considerations

The scale of small pelagic fish welfare harms is difficult to comprehend. Purse seines concentrate millions of fish into progressively shrinking net pockets, causing panic responses and physical injury from crowding. Live chilling in ice slurry is the predominant processing method — fish remain conscious as water temperature drops, experiencing prolonged distress. The welfare mathematics are stark: a single fishing operation may impose welfare costs on more individuals in hours than terrestrial animal agriculture affects in a week.

What You Can Do

Choose mackerel and herring from MSC-certified fisheries with humane handling commitments
Advocate for humane slaughter standards to be extended to small pelagic fish processing
Support research into rapid cooling or electrical stunning methods for pelagic fish
Reduce consumption of species processed by live chilling where humane alternatives are unavailable
Engage with fisheries regulators about extending welfare requirements to small pelagic fish species