Live fish, shellfish, and crustaceans are sold in markets globally under conditions that cause significant suffering. Establishing welfare standards for live aquatic animal markets is an emerging policy challenge.
Live aquatic animal markets represent a frontier in applied animal welfare where the evidence on sentience is increasingly compelling but the regulatory response is minimal. Fish and crustaceans held in crowded, dirty, low-oxygen tanks for days before sale experience chronic stress that compounds the suffering of their eventual killing method. As the science of aquatic animal sentience advances, the moral case for improving conditions in live markets strengthens. Simple interventions including appropriate tank conditions, water quality management, and humane killing methods could meaningfully reduce suffering for billions of animals with modest investment.