Third-party aquaculture welfare certification schemes are emerging as an important tool for driving welfare improvements across the global seafood supply chain.
Aquaculture certification schemes provide a market-based mechanism for rewarding higher welfare practices, though effectiveness depends on the rigor of standards and quality of auditing. The most robust schemes include pre-slaughter stunning requirements, stocking density limits, and health and mortality monitoring. Consumer purchasing power, when directed toward certified products, creates financial incentives for farms to improve welfare beyond legal minimums.