Aquaculture certification programs vary widely in their welfare requirements, with some addressing genuine welfare concerns while others primarily focus on environmental sustainability.
Consumers seeking welfare-positive certified seafood face a confusing landscape where environmental and welfare criteria are conflated. A certification that prohibits antibiotic use may still allow crowding densities associated with chronic stress. A certification requiring environmental sustainability may have no provisions for slaughter welfare. The development of welfare-specific aquaculture standards that comprehensively address stocking density, water quality, disease management, and slaughter methods would enable consumers to make genuinely welfare-informed choices.