Anaesthetic and sedative agents enable fish handling procedures with reduced stress and injury. Their appropriate use is a key component of welfare-positive aquaculture management.
Fish anaesthesia welfare encompasses both the benefits of reduced handling stress during procedures and the risks of inappropriate dosing. Correctly anaesthetised fish recover quickly with reduced cortisol responses compared to handling without sedation. This makes procedures including vaccination, individual marking, and roe stripping significantly more welfare-positive. Anaesthetic overdose causing mortality is a welfare failure requiring careful training and protocol development. Temperature affects fish anaesthetic sensitivity significantly - colder fish require lower doses. Regulatory approval varies by country and species, limiting commercial availability. The welfare case for appropriate anaesthetic use in fish farming is strong and its wider adoption represents meaningful welfare improvement.