Recovery protocols following stressful aquaculture procedures determine whether fish return to normal welfare states or experience prolonged physiological disruption — a neglected but significant welfare dimension.
Fish recovery welfare represents the period between a stressful procedure and return to normal welfare state — a period that in many aquaculture operations receives minimal management attention because fish appear alive rather than visibly suffering. Yet the physiological stress response during incomplete recovery suppresses immune function, reduces growth efficiency, and potentially causes ongoing discomfort. Treating recovery as a distinct, managed welfare phase rather than an assumed automatic process would substantially improve welfare outcomes in aquaculture operations.