The attitudes of fishing crews toward fish welfare significantly influence practices on vessels where regulation is difficult to enforce.
At-sea fish welfare is almost entirely determined by crew attitudes and practices. Regulations are nearly impossible to enforce on commercial vessels. Crew who value minimizing fish suffering can implement simple measures — rapid spiking, reduced handling time, ice slurry rather than suffocation — that improve welfare significantly. Consumer and retailer demand for humanely caught fish creates economic incentives for better practices.