Most farmed fish are still slaughtered without effective stunning, causing death through slow suffocation or live chilling that may involve significant conscious suffering.
Fish slaughter welfare is arguably the largest unaddressed animal welfare problem by number of individuals affected. Despite growing evidence that fish experience pain and distress, the vast majority of the 73+ billion farmed fish killed annually receive no effective stunning. Suffocation in air, CO2 narcosis at high concentrations, and live icing all involve a period of consciousness during which fish may experience significant distress. The technology to stun fish effectively exists and is being adopted by leading salmon producers in Europe. Extending these standards globally is one of the highest-impact welfare reforms achievable in the near term.