Humane slaughter of gilthead sea bream requires stunning methods that produce rapid unconsciousness before the pain of gill cutting, with electrical stunning emerging as the most feasible option for commercial operations.
Sea bream slaughter welfare has a clear evidence base: current commercial practices involving CO2 narcosis and ice slurry cause significant suffering that proper electrical stunning avoids. The barrier to adoption is primarily economic and practical — electrical stunning equipment requires capital investment and operational expertise — rather than technical impossibility. Certification-driven demand that makes humanely slaughtered sea bream command premium prices or preferential retailer listing provides the economic incentive for industry adoption. Consumers who choose certified products actively drive the commercial case for humane slaughter infrastructure investment.