European seabass and gilt-head seabream are the most farmed marine fish in the Mediterranean. Their welfare in intensive net-cage and onshore systems is increasingly scrutinised.
Ice slurry slaughter — immersing conscious fish in near-freezing water — is the predominant killing method in Mediterranean seabass and seabream farming. Research shows fish remain conscious and distressed in ice slurry for many minutes before losing consciousness. This method is widely recognised as welfare-inadequate but persists due to cost and infrastructure constraints. Crowded net cages cause aggression, fin damage, and social stress in hierarchical species. Mediterranean aquaculture farms frequently lack systematic welfare monitoring. Warmer Mediterranean waters and increasing summer temperatures are creating thermal stress events in caged fish.