Welfare Science

Fish Analgesia Research and Welfare

Research into fish pain management has advanced significantly, with validated analgesic protocols emerging for laboratory and aquaculture settings.

Key Facts

Opioids, NSAIDs, and local anaesthetics have been shown effective in fish
Eugenol (clove oil) is widely used for sedation but has limited analgesic properties
Behavioural indicators of pain in fish are increasingly validated
Pain scoring systems for research fish are being developed and validated
Aquaculture procedures including fin clipping are performed without analgesia in many settings

Welfare Considerations

Fish analgesic research has established that fish can benefit from pain management during and after procedures. Despite this, many aquaculture and research procedures are performed without analgesia. Developing and implementing species-appropriate analgesic protocols is a clear welfare priority for fish used in research and production.

What You Can Do

Support research into fish analgesic protocols
Advocate for pain management requirements in fish research and aquaculture regulations
Engage with aquaculture and research industries about analgesic adoption
Support organisations developing validated pain management for fish
Learn about fish analgesic options and their evidence base