Aquaculture

Farmed Trout Handling and Welfare at Harvest

Welfare considerations during the harvest and slaughter of farmed rainbow trout, including stunning methods and pre-slaughter handling.

Key Facts

Rainbow trout show clear signs of sentience including pain responses
Percussive stunning is widely used but requires correct technique
Electrical stunning achieves rapid and reliable insensibility when calibrated correctly
CO2 narcosis is aversive and causes distress before insensibility
Pre-harvest crowding and air exposure cause significant stress in trout

Welfare Considerations

Trout welfare at harvest is an area where practice has historically lagged behind the evidence on fish sentience. Ensuring rapid, effective stunning before killing is an achievable welfare improvement that the industry can implement.

What You Can Do

Choose trout products from farms with certified humane slaughter protocols
Advocate for mandatory stunning requirements in farmed fish slaughter
Support aquaculture welfare standards that cover end-of-life welfare