European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of the most commercially important Mediterranean aquaculture species. Understanding its welfare needs enables industry improvements that reduce the suffering of millions of fish.
Sea bass welfare science has advanced considerably, demonstrating that these fish have the neurological and physiological substrate for pain and stress. They show characteristic cortisol responses to crowding, handling, and temperature shock. Dominance hierarchies at commercial stocking densities cause chronic subordination stress in a significant proportion of fish. Slaughter without prior stunning — particularly gill-cutting while conscious in ice water — is likely to cause significant suffering given what is now known about fish pain processing. The welfare science provides clear direction for industry improvement, but commercial incentive to adopt higher-welfare practices requires either regulatory pressure or consumer-driven market differentiation.