Common carp is the world's most produced farmed fish by volume, raised across Asia and Eastern Europe, with welfare considerations related to handling, stocking density, and traditional live transport practices.
The live sale of carp, particularly around Christmas and Easter in Central Europe, exposes fish to prolonged captivity in inadequate containers with poor water quality and oxygen depletion. Fish kept in buckets or small tanks for extended periods experience hypoxia, stress, and injury. The welfare case for maintaining carp in adequate water quality with appropriate oxygen levels, even during short-term retail holding, is strong. Slaughter methods vary considerably and humane percussion or electrical stunning are welfare-superior to asphyxiation.