Pre-slaughter stunning in farmed salmon is a critical welfare intervention that remains inconsistently applied globally, leaving many fish to die without loss of consciousness.
Pre-slaughter welfare in farmed fish is one of the most significant unresolved animal welfare issues by sheer scale — billions of fish are slaughtered each year under conditions that would be unacceptable for land animals. Carbon dioxide narcosis, widely used in some countries, causes aversive sensations before unconsciousness — studies show fish actively avoid CO2-saturated water. Live chilling in ice slurry does not render fish unconscious quickly and results in a prolonged dying process. Effective percussive or electrical stunning renders fish immediately insensible, dramatically reducing suffering at death. Consumer pressure and retailer standards are the most powerful levers for change where legislation lags.