Zebrafish and other laboratory fish are increasingly used in biomedical research, with welfare refinement programs addressing anesthesia, handling stress, and housing enrichment.
Laboratory fish welfare has received significant attention following scientific evidence that zebrafish and other research fish have welfare-relevant experiences including nociception, stress responses, and social needs. The 3Rs framework applied to fish research demands honest engagement with refinement opportunities — better anesthesia protocols, social housing, enriched environments — that reduce suffering during procedures and housing. The relatively low regulatory attention historically given to fish compared to rodents and primates has created a welfare gap that welfare scientists and regulators are actively working to close, recognizing that the scale of fish use in biomedical research creates significant welfare obligations.