Traditional Fishing Practices and Fish Welfare

Traditional and artisanal fishing methods vary enormously in their welfare impacts on fish, with some ancient practices actually superior to industrial methods while others cause significant unnecessary suffering.

Key Facts

Traditional hook-and-line fishing typically results in lower bycatch rates and faster fish landing than trawling, reducing cumulative welfare harms
Some traditional practices like dynamite fishing, still used in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, cause extreme suffering at massive scale
Subsistence gill-net fishing often results in prolonged entanglement and asphyxiation — welfare outcomes as poor as industrial methods
Traditional spear-fishing and selective harvesting can be among the least harmful methods when used with rapid killing techniques
Indigenous fishing calendars that respect spawning seasons can inadvertently improve welfare by avoiding periods of thermal stress
Traditional fish traps used in Pacific Island communities allow live release of non-target species at higher survival rates than trawl bycatch
Humane slaughter methods from industrial aquaculture have rarely been adapted or offered to artisanal fishing communities

Welfare Considerations

Fish welfare in traditional fisheries depends heavily on the specific method, the species targeted, and local practices around handling and slaughter. The romanticisation of traditional fishing often obscures significant welfare problems — prolonged air exposure, rough handling, and slow death by asphyxiation are common across many artisanal methods regardless of cultural context. At the same time, the worst industrial practices — bottom trawling producing vast quantities of live bycatch left to die on deck — have no traditional equivalent in most cultures. Improving welfare in traditional fisheries requires culturally sensitive engagement that respects community practices while introducing welfare improvements that align with existing values of respect for nature.

What You Can Do

Support organisations working with artisanal fishing communities to introduce humane slaughter techniques
Recognise that fish welfare is not solely an industrial problem — advocate for welfare considerations in all fisheries
Support the inclusion of fish welfare training in international fisheries development programmes
Oppose destructive fishing practices like dynamite and cyanide fishing regardless of their traditional framing
Choose seafood certified under schemes that assess welfare practices across the supply chain
Engage with the nuanced evidence on traditional versus industrial fishing welfare outcomes