Sea bream (Sparus aurata) is a major Mediterranean aquaculture species. Welfare research is advancing standards for stocking density, slaughter, and enrichment.
Sea bream welfare has attracted considerable research attention given the species commercial importance. Fish sentience evidence supports treatment of sea bream as animals capable of experiencing stress, fear, and potentially pain. High stocking densities compromise welfare through increased aggression, fin damage, reduced access to food, and chronic stress responses that suppress immune function. Stressful handling during grading, vaccination, and harvest causes acute welfare impacts that can be mitigated through refined techniques. Slaughter welfare remains variable across facilities — CO2 stunning, which causes distress, should be replaced by percussive or electrical stunning. Consumer and retailer certification schemes are beginning to include fish welfare criteria, creating market incentives for improvement in sea bream farming.