Scientific evidence increasingly supports that fish experience pain and suffering, with implications for the billions of fish killed in commercial fisheries and aquaculture each year.
For decades the question of fish sentience was dismissed, but rigorous science has shifted expert consensus. Fish have the neural architecture for pain perception, show appropriate behavioral responses to noxious stimuli, and seek pain relief. The scale of fish suffering in commercial fishing and aquaculture is staggering — more individual animals are killed for food as fish than as all land animals combined. Improving fish welfare requires both better slaughter methods and fundamental rethinking of fisheries management.