The capacity of fish to experience pain has been scientifically established, yet welfare standards in aquaculture lag far behind those for terrestrial species. Closing this gap is an urgent priority.
The fish pain debate is largely settled at the scientific level - the question is not whether fish can experience pain but how their pain experience compares to mammalian experience, and what welfare obligations follow. The ethical response to uncertainty is the precautionary principle: treat fish as though they experience pain until we have good reason to believe otherwise. This demands analgesia for procedures causing tissue damage, humane slaughter standards, and conditions that minimise chronic stress. The gap between what science requires and what practice delivers is vast.