Common carp are the most widely farmed fish globally, particularly in Asia and Eastern Europe. Their welfare needs are rarely considered despite the enormous scale of production.
Carp aquaculture presents one of the largest welfare gaps in global food production: the most widely farmed fish species in the world is produced almost entirely without welfare consideration. The scale is extraordinary, encompassing billions of individual animals annually across diverse production systems. Welfare challenges include crowding stress in intensive pond systems, poor water quality during summer heat events, inhumane slaughter, and the extended live transport to markets that is standard practice in many carp-producing countries. The biological evidence for carp sentience, while less definitive than for mammals, is sufficient to warrant serious welfare consideration at this scale. The first step toward improvement is recognition that carp welfare matters; from this foundation, practical standards for water quality, stocking density, slaughter, and transport can be developed.