Carp are among the most farmed freshwater fish globally, with welfare challenges specific to pond-based production systems including water quality management and harvesting stress.
Carp welfare receives far less scientific and regulatory attention than salmon or trout farming despite producing comparable or greater volumes. The assumption that carp are more tolerant of poor conditions translates into less investment in welfare management — but tolerance of survival in poor conditions is not the same as absence of suffering. Water quality monitoring, aeration management, and lower-stress harvesting methods represent achievable welfare improvements that the carp farming industry can implement progressively.