'Fish Also Feel Pain' Movement Expands to UK Animal Welfare Fisheries

ASC "Farmed Fish Feel Pain, Stress, and Anxiety"
Stunning Before Killing Is the Principle

In the UK, there is a movement to humanely slaughter fish just like mammals. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] As it becomes widely accepted that fish experience pain when dying, similar to mammals, there is a growing movement in the UK to establish institutional measures for the 'humane death' of fish.

According to a report by The Guardian on the 8th (local time), the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), a global certification body overseeing farmed fish, is drafting new welfare standards that include more humane slaughter methods. Founded in 2010 by organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), ASC provides certification labels for fish sold in UK supermarkets, ranging from sea bass to smoked salmon. According to the draft, farmed fish bearing the ASC label must be stunned before slaughter. This is based on the recognition that fish can feel pain, stress, and anxiety. Currently, farmed fish can be slaughtered by various methods such as suffocation, gutting while alive, or salting. The welfare standards being developed currently apply to finfish but are planned to be expanded to include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and other marine creatures in the future.

Wild fish are also not exempt from animal welfare concerns. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which certifies wild fisheries, is facing demands to introduce its own welfare standards. Generally, wild fish die from oxygen deprivation on deck after being caught, and are often gutted alive without being stunned.

The establishment of new global standards for the 'humane handling' of fish is thanks to the efforts of scientists who have studied the sensory experiences of fish over a long period.

Professor Lynne Sneddon of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, who has researched fish pain for over 20 years, said, "Fish are highly intelligent. They can navigate mazes, have numerical abilities, and form complex relationships," adding, "Therefore, they deserve protection at the same level as mammals."

Nick Palmer, Compassion representative at World Farming UK, also argued, "Like other animals, fish are intelligent and sentient beings and should be protected from unnecessary suffering."

The British Veterinary Association has also advocated for expanded fish protection. The association stated, "Welfare protections at fish farms should be extended to wild fish as well," and emphasized, "Further research is needed to develop effective, humane, and commercially viable methods to stun wild fish."