Farmed Animal Welfare

Farmed Sardine Welfare: Small Pelagic Fish and Mass Harvesting

Sardines are harvested in enormous quantities for human consumption and fishmeal, with welfare during capture, crowding, and slaughter receiving minimal attention.

Key Facts

Global sardine harvest exceeds 2 million metric tons annually, encompassing billions of individuals
Sardines are schooling fish that navigate using lateral line systems sensitive to pressure changes
Most sardines are caught by purse seine nets, leading to severe crowding and suffocation deaths
They are increasingly used as fishmeal to feed aquaculture species including salmon
Neurobiological research supports the view that sardines and related small fish experience pain

Welfare Considerations

The scale of sardine harvesting makes welfare improvements uniquely high-impact — even modest improvements in slaughter methods could benefit billions of individuals. Current purse seine capture typically results in death by suffocation or crushing, which may take many minutes. Rapid chilling methods, if applicable at scale, could substantially reduce conscious suffering during capture and death.

What You Can Do

Reduce consumption of farmed carnivorous fish that rely on sardine-based fishmeal feeds
Support fisheries management policies that prevent sardine stock collapse
Advocate for research into humane mass-slaughter methods applicable to small pelagic fish