Sea bream is a major farmed species in the Mediterranean, produced in sea cages and extensive lagoon systems. Understanding sea bream welfare helps consumers and advocates assess farming practices.
Sea bream welfare in intensive Mediterranean aquaculture is compromised by aggression, cataract prevalence, oxygen stress, and pre-harvest starvation. These are not inevitable features of sea bream production — extensive lagoon systems achieve better welfare at lower productivity. For intensive systems, improvements including dietary modification to reduce cataracts, oxygen management, and humane slaughter protocols would substantially reduce welfare burden. Consumer and retailer demand for welfare-certified sea bream products creates market incentives for improvement.