9 out of 10 people across Europe want better protection for farmed fish

Results from our new survey – out today – show that 9 out of 10 people across Europe believe the welfare of fish should be protected to the same or greater extent as other farmed animals.

People across EU polled on farmed fish welfare

We partnered with Eurogroup for Animals to undertake a survey – carried out by Sapience, which polled more than 9,000 people in Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. We wanted to find out about public attitudes to and consumption of fish – as well as their awareness of fish farming practices.

Mass fish suffering

Fish are sentient beings, able to feel pleasure and pain. Despite this, up to one billion are farmed in the EU each year without any legal requirements to meet their specific welfare needs. As a result, many of these animals can experience pain and suffering in intensive farms.

Overcrowding makes them more susceptible to disease and stress, aggression and physical injuries, and starvation is commonplace. In the EU, fish are often killed inhumanely and many endure slow, painful deaths by asphyxiation, or even being gutted alive.

Citizens want change

The survey results were clear:

• Many EU citizens are oblivious to the most common fish farming methods and their consequences. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those in Spain showed low awareness of current fish farming practices, the lowest of all the countries polled. Only 30% of people in Spain are aware that the percentage of fish that die during rearing on farms is substantially higher than that of farmed land animals.
• 71% agreed that fish can feel pain. In Czechia, 77% agreed with this statement - the highest of all countries.
• Less than half (39%) of all those in the EU were aware that most farmed fish are not stunned (made unconscious) before slaughter and 70% said that stunning should be a legal requirement.

When it comes to buying fish products, an overwhelming 9 out of 10 people said they would like to buy fish raised in better welfare conditions, while over two-thirds (69%) said that they would like fish products to include clear welfare labelling that reflect how the fish were reared and killed.

In simple terms, the public demand for higher fish welfare just isn’t being met.

Legislation is needed

In response to this strong signal of support, today we’re sending a letter to the Commissioner-candidates responsible for Animal Welfare and for Fisheries, urging them to deliver species-specific welfare provisions for farmed fish, as part of the revision of animal welfare laws it promised to publish by the end of 2023, but which is yet to be delivered.

This move is backed by four out of five people polled across all nine EU countries, who support legislation that requires the use of best practices and the latest science to meet the welfare needs of farmed aquatic animals.

Dr Natasha Boyland, our Senior Research and Policy Advisor (Aquatic Animals), said: “Our new survey shows that the overwhelming majority of EU citizens polled care about the welfare of farmed fish. However, many are unaware of the cruelty that can be inflicted during rearing and slaughter, and moreover, that this all occurs because they lack legal protection. Fish, like animals farmed on land, are sentient beings, who need laws to minimise their suffering. We now urge the European Commission to respond to citizens’ concerns and introduce species-specific laws for fish accordingly.”

Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals, added: “Despite being farmed by the billions, extensive studies highlighting their sentience, and citizens’ demand for better protection, fish continue to be overlooked. We expect that the upcoming revision of EU animal welfare legislation will include species-specific measures to protect their needs and significantly improve welfare conditions in EU aquaculture.”