Fish Welfare
Fish are often raised and caught in ways that cause immense suffering. We fund advocacy, science, and R&D to improve conditions for farmed and wild fish.
Estimates suggest that up to 180 billion finfish[1]This term refers to fish with fins, or “true” fish, as distinct from shellfish, crustaceans, and other aquatic life. When we talk about “fish” in this piece, we mean finfish. are alive on farms at any given time. Around 100 species are intensively farmed worldwide — and aquaculture companies have a limited understanding of how to raise and slaughter them humanely. Fish often spend multiple years suffering from disease, stress, and injury on farms before they reach a harvestable size.
Each year, 0.8 to 2.3 trillion wild fish are caught, using methods that cause extreme suffering. Many are crushed in nets or impaled on hooks, and then left to slowly asphyxiate or slaughtered while still conscious.
Growing awareness from scientists, advocates, and consumers is driving progress toward better welfare standards. Our grantees focus on understanding and improving the conditions of farmed fish and reducing some of the most painful practices used to catch wild fish:
- Researchers are measuring fish brain activity and studying their behavioral biology to find ways to raise them more humanely.
- Scientists, engineers, and industry professionals are developing welfare-improving technologies for farms and ships, like electric stunners that knock fish unconscious before slaughter.
- Experts have developed evidence-based fish welfare standards that are being incorporated into popular sustainability certification schemes — improvements that could benefit roughly 4 billion farmed fish at any given time.
- Advocates are working to secure corporate and legislative welfare reforms for aquatic animals.
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