Fish welfare certification is an emerging field with significant variation in standards, leaving consumers without reliable guidance on welfare-positive fish product choices.
Fish welfare certification is in its early stages, leaving consumers who want to make welfare-positive choices without reliable guidance for most fish products. The gap between sustainability certification (which addresses environmental impact) and welfare certification (which addresses animal experience) is large and largely unfilled. RSPCA Assured in the UK represents the most comprehensive current standard for farmed salmon and trout, but most fish products globally have no welfare certification whatsoever. Consumers interested in fish welfare currently have limited market options but significant power to drive certification development through retailer engagement and purchasing choices.