Aquaculture certification schemes vary widely in their welfare provisions, with many popular eco-labels focusing on environment while neglecting fish sentience and suffering.
Certification schemes create a false assurance for consumers who assume any eco-label addresses animal welfare comprehensively. Fish farmed under environmental certifications may still experience chronic overcrowding, inadequate water quality, and inhumane slaughter. The gap between environmental and welfare certification creates a market where companies can claim responsibility while neglecting sentient fish. Meaningful progress requires either expanding existing certifications to include robust welfare criteria or developing welfare-specific fish certification that consumers can easily identify.