Fish in aquaculture undergo numerous procedures including sorting, vaccination, tagging and transport that cause significant pain and stress without anaesthesia. The science of fish anaesthesia has advanced significantly but implementation lags behind.
The use of anaesthesia for fish procedures represents one of the clearest areas where welfare science translates directly into reduced suffering at scale. The barrier to adoption is primarily economic and cultural rather than technical — effective anaesthetics are available, their use is well-established in research contexts, and the welfare benefits are well-documented. Consumer demand for welfare-certified aquaculture products, regulatory requirements and industry leadership are all needed to make routine anaesthesia for fish procedures the norm rather than the exception.