Rainbow trout are the most widely farmed freshwater fish; welfare science is advancing standards for stocking density, slaughter, and disease management.
Farmed rainbow trout welfare has improved through research demonstrating fish sentience and stress responses, driving certification standards and voluntary welfare commitments. However, stocking densities in many production systems remain higher than welfare science recommends, and slaughter welfare improvements lag behind mammalian species. Progressive trout welfare programmes address the full production cycle from egg to slaughter.