Brown trout are ecologically important freshwater fish whose welfare in rivers depends on water temperature, quality and flow regime, increasingly threatened by climate change.
Wild brown trout experience welfare harms from heat stress in warming rivers, sediment suffocation of spawning redds, and pollution events. Thermal stress causes physiological compromise and in severe cases death. Catch-and-release angling, while preferable to killing, still causes acute physiological stress from air exposure and handling. Welfare-aware angling practice minimises air exposure, avoids fishing in high-temperature conditions and uses appropriate tackle for quick landing. River management that reduces abstraction and maintains riparian shade addresses the systemic welfare threats of climate change.