Carp is the most farmed fish species globally by volume, primarily in Asia, and welfare science for this species is less developed than for salmon and trout despite the enormous numbers involved.
Carp welfare is a largely neglected area of aquaculture welfare science despite the enormous volumes involved. The welfare challenges in carp production are different from salmon farming — lower stocking densities in polyculture systems reduce some intensive farming welfare problems, but harvesting practices involving pond draining and manual sorting cause acute crowding and handling stress at scale. Water quality maintenance is the primary ongoing welfare determinant and is well managed in progressive operations. The scientific evidence base for carp pain and stress is growing — cyprinids including zebrafish are among the most researched fish models in pain neuroscience — but this has not yet translated into specific welfare standards or certification for carp aquaculture. Developing welfare standards for carp would benefit the largest volume fish aquaculture system on Earth.