The welfare of farmed fish at slaughter has received increasing scientific and regulatory attention. Moving beyond live chilling to validated stunning methods is a priority welfare improvement.
Fish slaughter welfare is one of the most tractable aquaculture welfare improvements available, with validated methods, commercial-scale equipment, and growing regulatory support. The science is clear: fish remain conscious during live chilling and CO2 narcosis for minutes to tens of minutes, during which they experience the equivalent of a prolonged stressful dying process. Electrical stunning, correctly calibrated for species, size, and conductivity, creates immediate loss of consciousness — a transformation in the welfare of the last moments of life for hundreds of millions of fish annually. The welfare improvement from transitioning slaughter practices is therefore large in absolute terms, even if each individual slaughter event is brief. Barriers include equipment cost for smaller operations, operator training requirements, and the need for species-specific calibration. These barriers are surmountable: industry programmes, regulatory requirements, and certification scheme inclusion of slaughter method requirements have all driven adoption in leading seafood-producing countries. Consumer preference for welfare-certified fish provides the market signal that reinforces this trend.