Scientific understanding of fish pain has advanced dramatically, driving progressive policy changes that increasingly extend welfare protections to fish in farming, research, and recreational fishing.
The growing scientific consensus that fish experience pain has profound welfare policy implications. Hundreds of billions of fish are killed annually in aquaculture and wild fisheries, many without any stunning or welfare consideration. Policy progress is real but incomplete - implementation lags behind legislative requirements, particularly in wild fisheries. Supporting the science-to-policy translation process and enforcement is critical for converting scientific understanding into welfare improvements at scale.