The use of anaesthesia for fish undergoing invasive procedures in research settings is increasingly recommended as evidence for fish pain capacity strengthens.
The precautionary principle strongly supports anaesthetic use for invasive fish procedures given the growing evidence for nociception and likely pain experience. The cost of anaesthesia in fish research is relatively low, and the potential welfare cost of performing invasive procedures without it is high if fish experience pain. Regulatory frameworks are beginning to catch up with the science, but implementation in fish research facilities remains inconsistent.