Anchovies are harvested in vast numbers to produce fishmeal and fish oil used in aquaculture feed, raising significant welfare questions about capture and killing methods.
Anchovies represent one of the largest single-species welfare challenges in global food systems — their numbers and the methods used to capture them create staggering potential suffering. Purse seine fishing results in massive aggregations of fish that may thrash for extended periods as oxygen depletes. Crushing injuries and suffocation are common. Because anchovies are reduced to meal rather than sold whole, there is minimal economic incentive to invest in welfare improvements. Feed-reduction strategies — algae-based omega-3 oils, insect protein, soy-based feeds — could dramatically reduce the demand for anchovy-derived fishmeal and the welfare burden it represents.