Fish

Farmed Fish Welfare: Aquaculture and the Billion-Scale Problem

Aquaculture produces over half the world's fish for consumption; welfare standards are almost entirely absent despite fish sentience evidence.

Key Facts

Global aquaculture produces 90 million tonnes of fish annually
Salmon farms can house 50,000 fish per cage with chronic crowding stress
Sea lice infestations in salmon farms cause severe skin and flesh damage
Slaughter methods in aquaculture include asphyxiation, chilling, and live gutting
The UK and Norway are developing fish welfare standards but implementation lags

Welfare Considerations

Farmed fish are among the most neglected animals in the food system. Crowded salmon develop stress-related immunosuppression, fin damage, and reproductive failure. Sea lice consume fish flesh while alive. Slaughter by asphyxiation can take 15 minutes. The scale of fish suffering in aquaculture — measured in billions of individual lives — exceeds that of land animal farming.

What You Can Do

Reduce farmed salmon and shrimp consumption given documented welfare problems
Choose certified ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) seafood
Support research into fish pain and welfare science funding
Advocate for mandatory fish welfare standards in aquaculture regulations
Donate to Fish Welfare Initiative and Aquatic Life Institute programs