Farmed Fish Pre-Slaughter Stunning

The welfare at slaughter for farmed fish is highly variable, with many species killed without any form of stunning, causing prolonged death by asphyxiation.

Key Facts

Most farmed fish globally are slaughtered without any form of pre-slaughter stunning
Asphyxiation in air can take over an hour for some species
Electrical stunning of Atlantic salmon is technically feasible and increasingly adopted in Norway
Carbon dioxide stunning is aversive rather than analgesic in most fish species
RSPCA welfare standards and Aquaculture Stewardship Council include slaughter requirements

Welfare Considerations

The slaughter conditions for farmed fish represent one of the most significant welfare problems in the food system measured by numbers affected. Billions of fish are killed annually by methods that would be prohibited for terrestrial food animals in most countries. The evidence that fish experience pain and distress during these prolonged deaths is strong. Effective stunning technologies exist but have not been widely adopted due to cost and industry inertia. Consumer and regulatory pressure are the primary drivers of change.

What You Can Do

Choose fish certified under standards that include humane slaughter requirements
Ask your retailer about slaughter methods used for fish they sell
Support campaigns advocating for mandatory fish stunning requirements
Reduce consumption of fish species with poor slaughter welfare records
Support research into cost-effective fish stunning technologies