Seafood certification schemes vary widely in their welfare coverage. Understanding what different labels actually guarantee helps consumers make more informed choices for fish welfare.
The seafood certification landscape is complex, and sustainability certifications do not automatically address animal welfare. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council is widely recognized for environmental standards but its animal welfare criteria are limited. RSPCA Assured in the UK includes genuine welfare requirements for farmed salmon including water quality, stocking density, slaughter method, and health monitoring. Consumers who care about fish welfare need to look beyond generic sustainability labels to certifications with explicit welfare criteria. The development of internationally recognized aquaculture welfare standards with rigorous auditing is an important frontier for improving fish welfare at scale.