Striped bass bridge recreational fishing and aquaculture welfare concerns — both catch-and-release practices and farming methods affect fish welfare in different ways.
Striped bass welfare spans two distinct human interactions: recreational catch-and-release and commercial aquaculture. For catch-and-release, the welfare priority is minimizing handling stress and air exposure — keeping fish in the water during hook removal, using rubberized nets, and releasing quickly before stress hormones impair recovery. For farmed hybrid striped bass, welfare depends on water quality management and humane slaughter. The evidence shows that both recreational and aquaculture striped bass welfare can be substantially improved through practice changes that impose minimal cost or inconvenience. Angler education on fish-friendly release techniques and aquaculture operator adoption of pre-slaughter stunning are the priority interventions.