The welfare of fish and the wellbeing of fishing crews are deeply intertwined. Improving conditions for both requires systemic industry reform and genuine enforcement.
The connection between fishing crew welfare and fish welfare is direct: fatigued, exploited, or poorly trained crews handle fish carelessly, increasing suffering during landing and processing. Social justice and animal welfare organisations that rarely collaborate have shared interests in reforming the fishing industry. The most acute welfare problems for wild-caught fish are at the moment of capture and death — crowding in nets, prolonged air exposure, and slow deaths in ice or CO2 are the primary targets for welfare improvement. Electrical stunning prior to slaughter is feasible in industrial processing and is being adopted by progressive operators.