The science of fish pain has developed substantially in recent decades, with significant welfare implications for fisheries, aquaculture, and recreational fishing.
The scientific evidence for fish pain has shifted the default assumption from skepticism to caution. Fish show physiological and behavioral responses to harmful stimuli that parallel pain responses in mammals, and the neurobiological machinery for pain processing is present. Whether fish have the subjective experience of suffering remains philosophically uncertain, but the precautionary principle — widely applied in other welfare contexts — suggests treating fish as capable of suffering. The welfare implications span fisheries, aquaculture, and recreational angling.