Yellowtail (amberjack) farming is growing rapidly in Japan, Australia, and the Mediterranean, but welfare standards for this highly active, schooling species remain underdeveloped.
Yellowtail welfare challenges include the conflict between their natural need for space and high-speed swimming and the confinement of sea cage aquaculture. Chronic crowding stress suppresses immune function, increases cortisol levels, and causes aggression and fin damage. Poor water quality in dense cages contributes to gill pathology and respiratory distress. Slaughter welfare is poorly standardised, with many operations still using asphyxiation in ice slurry rather than percussive or electrical stunning. Higher-welfare operations are piloting in-water electrical stunning, cleaner and less dense cages, and better pre-harvest fasting management.