Ocean sunfish are the worlds heaviest bony fish and among the most commonly caught marine bycatch globally. Their welfare in fishing contexts and their ecological role deserve attention.
Ocean sunfish welfare in fisheries bycatch contexts is significant given the scale of accidental capture. These large, slow-moving animals cannot easily avoid nets and trawls. Their buoyant bodies are frequently punctured or crushed during handling. Discard of dead or dying bycatch sunfish represents preventable welfare harm at scale. EU protected status that requires live discard where possible is welfare-positive but compliance monitoring in distant fisheries is challenging. Reducing net fishing effort in sunfish-rich areas of the Mediterranean would have the most direct welfare impact.