Aquaculture

Farmed Fish Anaesthesia Welfare

Anaesthesia for fish during invasive procedures reduces stress and pain, yet remains rarely used in commercial aquaculture.

Key Facts

AQUI-S and clove oil are approved anaesthetics for use in farmed fish in several countries
Anaesthesia reduces cortisol response and prevents awareness during invasive procedures
Many routine procedures including vaccination, grading, and sampling cause significant stress without anaesthesia
Cost and logistical challenges limit anaesthesia adoption in large-scale commercial operations
Research into lower-cost anaesthetic delivery systems is ongoing

Welfare Considerations

Fish undergoing invasive procedures without anaesthesia experience the full physiological stress response associated with these procedures. As evidence of fish sentience grows, anaesthesia use should become standard practice.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes that require anaesthesia for invasive fish procedures
Advocate for regulatory requirements to use anaesthesia in aquaculture procedures
Choose fish products from farms that use anaesthesia during invasive management procedures