The slaughter of farmed salmon without stunning is a major welfare concern affecting billions of fish annually. Evidence-based stunning methods are available and increasingly required by welfare standards.
Slaughter welfare is the most acute welfare event in a farmed fish's life. Without effective stunning, fish experience the physiological stress of capture, crowding, and then a prolonged dying process that all evidence suggests involves suffering. The welfare case for stunning before slaughter is now robust. Technologies exist, they are being adopted, and some regulatory frameworks are beginning to require them. The challenge is scaling adoption globally, including in regions where billions of fish are slaughtered without welfare consideration. Consumer demand for certified products and advocacy for regulatory change are the key levers.