Farmed Fish Slaughter: The Case for Humane Methods

Most farmed fish are killed by methods that are slow and cause significant suffering, requiring urgent reform.

Key Facts

Percussive stunning followed by pithing or bleeding is considered the most humane fish slaughter method
Many fish are killed by ice slurry immersion which causes distress for several minutes
Live chilling can take 10 to 15 minutes to render fish unconscious
Around 80 billion farmed fish are killed annually globally
The RSPCA and Norwegian Food Safety Authority have produced welfare standards for fish slaughter

Welfare Considerations

Fish slaughter methods used in most aquaculture systems cause significant suffering based on behavioural and physiological evidence. Ice slurry immersion causes a period of extreme cold stress before loss of consciousness. Carbon dioxide immersion causes acidosis and a panicked escape response. Exsanguination without prior stunning causes a prolonged conscious death. The scale of fish farming means improving slaughter welfare could benefit more animals than any other single intervention.

What You Can Do

Choose farmed fish with RSPCA Assured certification which requires humane slaughter
Support Fishcount.org.uk campaigns for improved fish slaughter standards
Ask fish retailers and restaurants about the slaughter methods used in their supply chains
Advocate for legislation requiring pre-slaughter stunning for all farmed fish
Support research into rapid humane slaughter methods appropriate for different fish species