Gilthead seabream is one of the most commercially important farmed fish in the Mediterranean. Welfare standards are developing but crowding, handling, and slaughter remain key challenges.
Seabream welfare management requires attention to stocking density, handling frequency, disease surveillance, and slaughter method. Compared to salmon, seabream aquaculture welfare standards are less developed and regulatory oversight is more limited across Mediterranean producer countries. Evidence that seabream experience stress and pain-like states is well-established — their behavioral and physiological responses to noxious stimuli parallel those of vertebrates with confirmed sentience. Welfare improvement depends on consumer and retailer pressure, given the current absence of strong regional regulation.