Carp are the most farmed fish globally by volume, with production concentrated in China and Eastern Europe. Traditional pond farming methods and live fish markets create significant welfare challenges for billions of animals.
Carp welfare receives minimal attention despite the enormous numbers farmed globally. The live fish market tradition in Central Europe is one of the most visible welfare concerns: fish transported in crowded buckets, kept for days in oxygen-poor water, and killed by unskilled consumers using improvised methods cause prolonged suffering. In China, intensive pond culture involves crowding at high densities with variable water quality management. Slaughter methods for carp — from ice slurry to bleeding out while conscious — are rarely regulated for welfare. The welfare case for percussive stunning immediately followed by spiking is well-established for carp specifically, but uptake in commercial and domestic settings is extremely low. Consumer education and regulatory minimum slaughter standards are the priority interventions.