Yellow perch aquaculture is an emerging industry in North America facing welfare challenges related to stocking density, water quality, and harvest methods.
Yellow perch possess all neurological structures associated with pain perception and fear responses in vertebrates, and their welfare in aquaculture settings deserves systematic attention. Key welfare stressors include poor water quality, inappropriate stocking densities, sudden temperature shifts, and inadequate hiding structure in bare tanks. Research on perch cognition shows they can learn from each other and form social associations, suggesting social complexity that matters for husbandry design. Harvest procedures present the highest acute welfare risk, and operators should adopt stunning protocols prior to slaughter. The emerging nature of the industry creates an opportunity to build welfare standards from inception rather than retrofitting them onto established practices.