Aquaculture Welfare

Farmed Fish Welfare at Slaughter

Slaughter methods for farmed fish vary widely in welfare standards, with some methods causing significant unnecessary suffering.

Key Facts

Percussion stunning followed by killing is considered the gold standard for fish
Carbon dioxide stunning is used in some species and causes significant distress
Live chilling in ice slurry is widely used despite evidence it is not a rapid kill method
Electrical stunning can be effective but requires species-specific calibration
Welfare at slaughter is increasingly included in aquaculture certification schemes

Welfare Considerations

The manner in which fish are killed is a significant welfare issue, yet most farmed fish globally are killed by methods that cause significant suffering. Ice slurry death in particular causes prolonged distress before loss of consciousness. Transitioning to percussive stunning or electrical stunning with immediate killing would represent a major welfare improvement for billions of fish.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture welfare standards requiring humane slaughter methods
Choose fish products certified by welfare schemes addressing slaughter
Advocate for mandatory stunning requirements in national aquaculture regulations