Stunning farmed fish before slaughter to ensure unconsciousness is a welfare priority that remains inconsistently implemented across aquaculture globally.
Fish stunning at harvest represents the most tractable welfare intervention in aquaculture — the technology exists, costs are modest relative to farm value, and the welfare benefit is immediate and certain. The barriers are primarily regulatory and cultural: without mandatory requirements, economic pressure pushes toward cheaper, less welfare-positive methods. Countries and certification schemes that have implemented mandatory effective stunning demonstrate that implementation is achievable. Consumer preference for certified welfare-positive seafood and retailer requirements for stunning compliance can create market pressure where regulation has not yet acted.