Eurasian perch is emerging as an important freshwater aquaculture species in Europe, with welfare considerations centered on aggressive behavior, water temperature, and stocking density.
Perch aquaculture welfare is an early-stage concern being addressed as the industry expands. The species presents specific challenges: cannibalism in young fish requires frequent size grading that involves significant handling stress; aggression at all life stages causes skin lesions and fin damage; and the RAS environment requires careful management of multiple water quality parameters simultaneously. The welfare case for pre-slaughter stunning applies equally to perch as to other food fish — their pain sensitivity and stress responses are consistent with other teleosts. Industry development at this early stage presents an opportunity to establish welfare standards before poor practices become entrenched. European aquaculture regulatory developments that extend fish welfare requirements to emerging species would be most impactful during this growth phase.