European sea bass is one of the most commercially important farmed fish species in the Mediterranean, with welfare challenges related to stocking density, crowding stress, and slaughter methods requiring industry attention.
Sea bass harvesting without effective stunning causes prolonged consciousness during a painful dying process. Ice slurry immersion gradually reduces body temperature while fish remain conscious, causing distress for minutes. Carbon dioxide stunning is aversive and causes struggling before unconsciousness. Electrical stunning followed by spiking delivers rapid unconsciousness and is considered best practice but requires investment in equipment and training. Crowding stress during harvest aggregates welfare harms over the final hours of the production cycle. Consumer demand for high-welfare certified aquaculture products and retailer sourcing policies requiring stunning verification are the primary drivers of industry improvement.