Humane Fish Slaughter: A comparison of Fish Welfare Standards in the United States and the United Kingdom. What is the next step?

Concurrent with the rapid expansion of aquaculture, the welfare of farmed fish has

also garnered increased attention. This presentation will: 1) review common fish slaughtering

methods, 2) compare humane slaughter guidelines for farmed fishes between the U.S. and the

U.K, and 3) highlight a promising new fish slaughter technology that has passed strict humane

slaughter audits in the U.K. The U.K. has emerged as a leader in the movement for enhanced

animal welfare, and for several years, U.K. seafood retailers have included approval stamps for

humanely slaughtered fish into their purchasing policies and labeling. In contrast, the U.S.

seafood industry has been slow to accept similar provisions; consequently, methods such as live

chilling and asphyxiation are still used. The question is: are North America’s fish production

facilities ready for stricter standards? As harvest protocols and technologies continue to evolve, it

could benefit North America’s hatchery managers and fish farmers to consider the standards

established in the U.K., with a proactive eye towards the imposition of future animal welfare

requirements in the U.S.