Fish represent the largest group of vertebrates and are used in enormous numbers in fishing and aquaculture. The evidence for fish sentience has profound ethical implications for how they are treated.
The welfare implications of fish sentience are among the largest in terms of numbers affected. If fish experience pain and suffering — and the scientific evidence increasingly supports this conclusion — then the welfare harm caused by fishing and aquaculture dwarfs that of land animal agriculture in sheer numbers. Hooks through mouths, suffocation on deck, crushing in nets, and live bycatch discards all involve potential suffering at a scale that demands urgent consideration. Transitioning fishing practices toward faster killing methods and aquaculture toward welfare-conscious systems are important welfare priorities.