Wild Fish Stock Welfare in Commercial Fisheries

The overlooked welfare dimension of commercial fishing impacts on wild fish populations.

Key Facts

Commercial fishing catches approximately 80-90 million tonnes of wild fish annually
Wild-caught fish experience acute stress and injury from net haul-up, deck exposure, and death by asphyxiation
Some commercial fisheries use rapid chilling or percussive stunning to improve end-of-life welfare for target fish
Bycatch involves large numbers of non-target fish being caught and discarded dead or dying
Trawling disturbs fish communities causing sub-lethal welfare harm through habitat destruction and stress
The welfare of wild-caught fish is addressed in some progressive fisheries management frameworks

Welfare Considerations

Wild fish welfare in commercial fisheries is the largest unaddressed welfare problem in the food system by number of individuals affected. Billions of wild fish experience the acute stress of capture and death by asphyxiation each year, in species now recognized as sentient by major scientific reviews and regulatory frameworks. Progressive fisheries management is beginning to incorporate welfare considerations — rapid chilling, more humane landing practices, and bycatch reduction — but the scale of the problem relative to the current level of welfare consideration is profound. Sustainable fisheries certification must evolve to include fish welfare alongside environmental sustainability.

What You Can Do

Choose sustainably certified seafood from fisheries with demonstrated bycatch reduction and welfare consideration
Support MSC and other certification bodies in developing welfare criteria alongside sustainability standards
Advocate for humane landing practices and rapid death protocols in commercial fisheries regulation
Reduce wild-caught fish consumption to lower the aggregate welfare harm from commercial fishing