European sea bass and gilt-head sea bream are among the most farmed fish in the Mediterranean, with welfare challenges spanning crowding, handling, disease, and slaughter methods.
Mediterranean sea bass and bream farming encompasses a wide welfare spectrum. At better-managed operations, lower stocking densities, regular health monitoring, and pre-slaughter stunning provide reasonable baseline welfare. At poorly managed intensive operations, chronic crowding stress, high injury rates, and inadequate veterinary care create sustained welfare deficits. Key welfare indicators include fin damage prevalence, mortality rates, and feed conversion efficiency. Pre-slaughter practice is particularly variable: carbon dioxide immersion without prior chilling causes a prolonged aversive response in fish, making percussive or electrical stunning preferable. Consumer and retailer pressure through certification uptake is the primary lever for improvement.