Aquaculture

Farmed Fish Anaesthesia Best Practice

Evidence-based guidance on the use of anaesthesia in farmed fish for husbandry procedures including vaccination and grading.

Key Facts

MS-222 and AQUI-S are the most widely used licensed fish anaesthetics
Correct dosing requires calibration to species, temperature, and fish size
Under-dosing causes insufficient anaesthesia and unnecessary suffering
Over-dosing can be fatal and is a welfare concern in its own right
Anaesthesia recovery requires clean, oxygenated water and monitoring

Welfare Considerations

Fish anaesthesia is a welfare tool that enables procedures to be conducted without conscious suffering. Its benefits depend entirely on correct implementation. Improper use can cause suffering equal to or greater than unanaesthetised handling.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory anaesthesia training for all fish farm workers conducting procedures
Support development of species-specific anaesthesia guidelines
Choose fish products from farms with documented anaesthesia protocols for husbandry