European sea bass farmed in the Mediterranean face welfare challenges including crowding, handling stress during grading and harvesting, and sea lice management that require improvement for welfare-positive production.
Sea bass welfare in Mediterranean aquaculture faces challenges throughout the production cycle. High summer temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen and increase crowding stress effects. Handling during grading and size sorting causes physical trauma and hypoxic stress. Harvesting without effective stunning leaves fish conscious during killing. Jellyfish and harmful algae events cause acute welfare emergencies in cage systems. Welfare improvement requires better management of handling procedures, mandatory pre-slaughter stunning, and environmental monitoring for early warning of stressful conditions. Consumer and retailer demand for welfare standards in Mediterranean aquaculture remains lower than for salmon, leaving less commercial pressure for improvement.