Aquaculture

Humane Slaughter Standards in Aquaculture

Slaughter practices in fish farming are widely recognised as causing unnecessary suffering, with better methods available.

Key Facts

Most farmed fish are killed by suffocation in air, carbon dioxide exposure, or ice slurry
These methods can take many minutes and cause significant stress and potential pain
Percussive stunning renders fish insensible immediately with minimal suffering
Electrical stunning is effective for salmon and some other species before slaughter
Norway and some other countries have adopted mandatory stunning requirements for farmed salmon

Welfare Considerations

Fish slaughter methods in aquaculture cause unnecessary suffering given the availability of humane alternatives. As fish sentience is increasingly recognised, the adoption of effective pre-slaughter stunning is an urgent welfare priority across the global aquaculture industry.

What You Can Do

Choose fish certified under schemes that mandate pre-slaughter stunning
Advocate for mandatory humane slaughter standards in aquaculture regulations
Support research into effective stunning methods for different fish species
Raise awareness about fish welfare at slaughter and the availability of humane alternatives