Trout farming is one of the most significant farmed fish industries globally. Understanding welfare challenges in trout production informs consumer choices and advocacy.
Fish welfare in aquaculture receives less public and regulatory attention than terrestrial farmed animal welfare, but the scientific evidence for fish sentience and the scale of fish farming (billions of animals annually) make it a major welfare priority. Trout farmed in poorly managed systems experience chronic crowding stress, water quality stress, and inhumane slaughter. The reforms needed — lower stocking densities, appropriate water quality management, and humane slaughter — are technically straightforward but economically resisted.