Scientific understanding of fish pain perception has advanced significantly, with strong evidence that fish experience nociception and likely suffer in ways relevant to welfare considerations.
The scientific consensus has shifted toward recognizing that fish are sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and suffering. This has profound implications given the scale of fish use in human food systems, research, and the pet trade. Current fishing methods including suffocation and trawling subject fish to prolonged distress. Aquaculture conditions including crowding, poor water quality, and handling stress cause welfare harms that are beginning to receive more regulatory attention.