Anchovy, Sardine, and Sprat: Welfare of Forage Fish

Anchovies, sardines, and sprats are small schooling fish caught in staggering quantities. Their welfare in industrial fisheries represents one of the largest-scale animal welfare challenges on Earth.

Key Facts

Global anchovy catch exceeds 8 million tonnes annually — the largest single-species fishery
Peruvian anchoveta fishery alone accounts for around 10% of all global wild fish catch
The vast majority of anchovies are reduced to fish meal and fish oil for aquaculture feed
Sardines and sprats are similarly caught in purse seines for food and industrial use
These small fish school in groups that can contain millions of individuals
Forage fish underpin entire ocean ecosystems as food for larger predators

Welfare Considerations

The welfare scale of forage fish fisheries is almost incomprehensible. Billions — potentially trillions — of individual animals are caught annually and killed without any welfare consideration. Fish are encircled in purse seines, compressed until many die from pressure, then pumped or scooped aboard and processed alive or left to suffocate. Death is prolonged and painful for animals that research suggests have genuine capacity to suffer. The fish meal and oil produced from these catches primarily feeds salmon, shrimp, and other farmed species in ways that dramatically multiply the welfare footprint of farmed seafood.

What You Can Do

Reduce consumption of farmed salmon and shrimp, which depend heavily on forage fish meal
Support research into alternative aquaculture feeds that replace wild-caught forage fish
Advocate for forage fish welfare to be included in fisheries management discussions
Donate to organisations like the Fish Welfare Initiative working on industrial fish welfare