Most farmed fish are killed without prior stunning, meaning billions of fish may experience pain and distress at slaughter — effective stunning technologies exist and should be standard practice.
Fish slaughter welfare represents one of the largest welfare gaps in modern food production. The sheer number of fish killed annually — orders of magnitude more than terrestrial farm animals — combined with minimal welfare standards creates potential suffering on an enormous scale. The science is clear: fish have nociceptors, show pain responses, and without stunning may remain conscious during slaughter methods that are demonstrably distressing. The solutions are known and technically available — percussive stunning, electrical stunning, and spike brain destruction (ikejime) all produce rapid insensibility. What is lacking is regulatory requirement and industry commitment to implement these methods. Consumer awareness and demand for humane fish slaughter standards can accelerate this change.