Context

• The injustices inherent in exploiting non-human animals stem from seeing them as commodities having only instrumental value, lacking any inherent worth apart from their usefulness to humans.
• Buying products with humane-sounding labels and certifications means little. Standards for such labels are weak and unenforced, audits and inspections are rarely done, and if they are done and violations are found, which is infrequent, no one gets fined.^[1]Consumer Reports, Greener Choices Website

Fact Sheet

Note: Keep in mind when reading about these abuses that fish are capable of feeling pain.

Methods of Slaughter: Commercially Caught Fish

• Suffocation
  • Rather than being slaughtered, wild-caught fish are often left to suffocate to death after being hauled onto the fishing boat.^[2]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.
• Crushing and Circulatory Failure
  • When huge numbers of fish are caught in trawl nets, those at the bottom are inevitably crushed to death.^[3]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.
• Decompression
  • Fish who are caught at depths of 20 meters or more may suffer decompression injuries when rapidly pulled to the surface causing
    • their internal organs to be forced out of their mouths or anuses (prolapse)
    • their eyes pushed out of their sockets
    • their swim bladders to inflate^[4]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.
• Freezing
  • Any fish who survive being caught and pulled to the surface may still be alive when they are put into freezers on the fishing boat, leaving them to slowly freeze to death.^[5]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.

Methods of Slaughter: Farmed Fish

• Asphyxiation
  • The most common method of killing farmed fish is asphyxiation, either in air or ice slurry.
    • Fish placed in ice slurry usually only struggle briefly before becoming immobile. but they can respire for up to 50 minutes.
    • Fishes can show signs of life for several hours when left to asphyxiate in air.^[6]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Bleeding, beheading, or gutting alive
  • Some species of fish are bled out to improve the flavor of their flesh.
  • Bleeding out is often done while the fish is still alive.
  • Fish may have their heads cut off or be eviscerated without first being stunned.
  • Fishes’ brains can continue to function for some time even after decapitation.^[7]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Percussive stunning
  • Percussive stunning ( a blow to the head) does not always lead to immediate unconsciousness.^[8]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
  • Fish can continue to be conscious after percussive stunning because of improper technique:
    • holding the fish in the wrong position
    • and stunning in the wrong location
    • not using enough force^[9]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
  • Percussive stunning is not suitable for many types of fish due to
    • their size
    • the shape of their skulls
    • the location of their brains^[10]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Electrical stunning
  • Electrical stunning may be carried out either in or out of the water (known as wet or dry stunning).
  • Electrical stunning does not always lead to immediate unconsciousness of complications involving
    • the wrong voltage^{[11]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading}
    • inadequate contact with stunning paddles (dry stunning on conveyor belts)^[12]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
    • the conductivity of the water^[13]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Carbon dioxide.
  • Salmon are often killed by being placed in water infused with carbon dioxide.
  • Carbon dioxide poisoning is slow and has been banned in Norway because it is inhumane.^[14]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Spiking.
  • Some fish are killed by driving a tool into the brain to destroy it.
  • The tool misses the brain up to 50% of the time, causing a slow, painful death.^[15]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Other Methods of Fish Slaughter.
  • Since they are difficult to kill, eels are often killed with cruel methods such as immersion in ammonia or salt water, or gutting alive.
  • Tuna may be shot in the head while still in the water.
  • Carp are often sold alive and killed by buyers at home. They are likely to be kept out of water for long periods and killed poorly without proper equipment.^[16]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading

Living Conditions: Farmed Fish

Farmed fish experience a number of stresses due to their living conditions. Examples:^[17]Gregory, Neville G., and Temple Grandin. Animal Welfare and Meat Science. Oxon, UK ; New York, NY, USA: CABI Pub, 1998. 209-10. ^[18]Stevenson, Peter, Compassion in World Farming (Organization), and World Society for the Protection of Animals. Closed Waters: The Welfare of Farmed Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Atlantic Cod and … Continue reading

• Overcrowding may cause:
  • stress
  • loss of scales
  • lack of oxygen
  • possible gill damage
  • heart problems due to insufficient exercise.
• Poor water quality
  • can occur due to the amount of feces produced in crowded conditions.
• Disease and parasites
  • are rife due to overcrowding, causing irritation and discomfort.
  • Sea lice can eat the flesh of farmed fish, causing lesions and even exposure of the skull in severe cases.
• Health issues are common, including
  • skeletal problems
  • cataracts
  • soft tissue malformations
• Abrasion
  • may occur when fish come into contact with the cage walls.
• Noise
  • from cages in rough weather may cause stress to the fish.
• Cannibalism
  • is an unnatural behavior that may occur if large and small fish are kept together.
• Rough Handling
  • may cause injury to fish, potentially leading to infection.
  • When removed from the water, fish may suffer from a lack of oxygen and even death due to stress.
• Artificial light
  • is used to manipulate fish’s growth and reproduction.
  • The welfare impacts of this practice are not yet known, but there is evidence that it may cause stress.
• Predation
  • occurs when fish are kept in pens or cages in natural bodies of water.
  • Animals like seabirds, seals, and otters may injure or prey on the fish, who cannot easily escape because they are confined.
• Denial of natural behaviors
  • is inevitable on fish farms. Fish who would swim several kilometers a day in the wild are kept confined in small cages where they cannot exercise natural behaviors such as feeding and migration.

Selective Breeding and Reproduction

• Genetic Engineering
  • Genetic engineering of salmon to grow faster has caused
    • enlargement of the head
    • an impaired immune system
    • breathing difficulties^[19]Mood, A, and P Brooke. “Estimating the Number of Farmed Fish Killed in Global Aquaculture Each Year,” July 2012. 
    • .^[9]
• Triploidy
  • Triploidy is a genetic manipulation that renders salmon sterile, prevents farmed fish from breeding with wild ones, improves meat quality, and makes fish grow more quickly.
  • Triploidy causes
    • cataracts
    • spinal deformities.^[20]Stevenson, Peter, Compassion in World Farming (Organization), and World Society for the Protection of Animals. Closed Waters: The Welfare of Farmed Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Atlantic Cod and … Continue reading
• Hormone Injection
  • Hormone injection is necessary for some species to allow them to spawn when kept in artificial conditions.
  • Injected hormones are often obtained by slaughtering other carp to remove their pituitary glands.^[21]“FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix.”
• Slaughter for Breeding
  • Some species are slaughtered so that they can be cut open and their eggs or sperm removed to be used for breeding.^[22]Rottman, RW, JV Shireman, and FA Chapman. “Techniques for Taking and Fertilizing the Spawn of Fish.” Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, November 1991.

Treatment and Handling

Hooking

• Fish have a similar pain system to mammals and birds, and their mouths contain many sensory receptor cells.
• Hooking is painful and studies show that fish avoid areas where they were hooked previously.
• In longline fishing, fish may be hooked for hours or even days until the lines are retrieved.^[23]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.

Forced Fasting

• Fish may be deprived of food for several days before slaughter, potentially depressing the immune system and causing hunger.^[24]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading

Transport and Packing

• Crowding
  • Crowding is the use of a net to encircle all fish in the enclosure prior to transport.
  • The lack of oxygen caused by Crowding can cause injury, stress, and even death in some cases.
• Pumping
  • Pumping sucks the fish and water through the tube for a distance ranging from a few meters to over a kilometer, sometimes causing injury by projections or sharp edges in the pipe, or by colliding with one another.^[25]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
• Brailing
  • Brailing involves transporting fish in a net called a brail, some of which can hold several hundred kilograms.^[26]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
  • Dry Brailing.
    • With dry brailing the fish come into contact with the net, each other, and other surfaces, causing crushing, bruising, abrasion, and puncture.^[27]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading
  • Wet Brailing.
    • Wet brailing, in which fish are submerged, reduces the risk of harm, but fish sometimes fall onto each other or onto a hard surface, causing injury.^[28]Lines, J.A., and J. Spence. “Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish: -EN- Humane Harvesting and Slaughter of Farmed Fish -FR- Le Respect Du Bien-Être Des Poissons Lors Des Prises et Des … Continue reading

Live Bait

• Live fish are often used as bait to catch larger fish, resulting in confinement for days or weeks.
• Baitfish are often impaled live on hooks and eaten alive by predators, unable to escape.

Catch and Release

• Some recreational anglers prefer to throw fish back into the water alive after catching them.
• Hooking is painful—the mouths of fish contain pain receptors.^[29]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.
• Hooks of catch and release fish sometimes puncture the throat or internal organs, causing death in anywhere from 3 percent to 86 percent depending on the species and the type of hook and bait used.^[30]Mood, Alison. “Worse Things Happen at Sea: The Welfare of Wild-Caught Fish.” fishcount.org.uk, 2010.

Citations

Note: Citations may appear at the beginning or end of a bulleted list, rather than on each bullet.