Aquaculture welfare certification programs are developing standards for fish and shellfish farming that go beyond environmental sustainability to include animal welfare considerations.
Aquaculture welfare certification provides a market mechanism for incentivizing better welfare practices in fish and shellfish farming. Currently, most certification schemes prioritize environmental sustainability with welfare as a secondary consideration. The development of science-based welfare criteria for fish — covering stocking density, water quality, enrichment, and slaughter — is an active area of research and standard-setting. Consumer willingness to pay premiums for welfare-certified aquaculture products would accelerate the adoption of higher standards across the industry.