Electrofishing is used for fish population surveys and management. Understanding its welfare implications helps develop more humane practice.
Electrofishing welfare illustrates the importance of technical precision in apparently simple wildlife management operations. Fish exposed to correctly calibrated electrical currents are briefly stunned and recover quickly with no lasting harm. Fish exposed to excessive current suffer spinal fractures and haemorrhage - injuries that reduce survival and cause chronic pain. The welfare difference between well-calibrated and poorly-calibrated electrofishing is enormous, yet the technique is widely used by practitioners with varying levels of training. Developing and enforcing training standards, equipment calibration requirements, and minimum current protocols would significantly improve fish welfare across the large number of electrofishing surveys conducted annually in UK waterways.