The welfare of farmed fish at slaughter has improved significantly through adoption of effective stunning methods, though implementation across species and regions remains inconsistent.
Fish slaughter welfare has advanced considerably as the scientific evidence for fish sentience has strengthened. Regulatory and certification pressure has driven adoption of electrical and percussive stunning in salmon and trout farming - the largest volume farmed fish species. However, smaller-scale operations, less common species, and lower-value fish often still use non-humane methods including CO2 exposure and live chilling. Implementation of welfare-positive slaughter requires both regulatory mandates and practical support for operators to adopt appropriate equipment.