Identifying and addressing the missing welfare elements in current aquaculture certification.
Aquaculture welfare certification gaps represent a systemic failure to translate welfare science into enforceable standards with meaningful consumer accountability. The environmental sustainability focus of existing certification schemes has created detailed environmental auditing infrastructure that welfare standards could build upon, but the institutional momentum favors environmental metrics. The welfare gap is particularly significant because consumer decisions based on existing certifications may be misaligned with actual welfare outcomes - consumers purchasing certified fish for welfare reasons may receive environmental, not welfare, assurance. Closing the certification welfare gap requires advocacy from both consumer demand and welfare science translation.