A report by the European Commission, published on Thursday 23 April, highlights persistent shortcomings in the protection of the welfare of farmed fish in Europe, despite promising initiatives in some countries.
This document provides an overview of practices in the EU Member States and Norway, the leading exporter of aquaculture products to the European market. It stresses the need to harmonise standards and strengthen control mechanisms.
The Commission notes that the majority of European countries have no specific legislation on the welfare of farmed fish, contenting themselves with applying general EU rules on animal welfare. Finland is an exception, with a dedicated law in force since 2010, which includes compulsory daily checks, water quality warning systems and strict handling and transport protocols.
In Norway, a pioneer in aquaculture, certain controversial practices, such as the use of CO2 for stunning, have been banned.
On the ground, inspections remain limited and inconsistent. In Greece, Spain and Denmark, welfare checks are usually integrated into general health inspections, without any specific protocol. In Germany, local authorities rely on recommendations from the Council of Europe, but without clearly defined thresholds for water quality or stocking density. Finland plans to extend its systematic inspections over the next five years, combining animal health and welfare.
Transport is receiving increasing attention, with national checklists, notably in Denmark and Greece, aimed at verifying oxygenation and water temperature. However, the absence of harmonised limit values makes it difficult to assess practices objectively.
Faced with these regulatory loopholes, some industry and research players are moving forward more quickly, notably in Norway (underwater cameras) and Spain (electric stunning for sea bream and sea bass, a method deemed more respectful than immersion in ice, which is still widely used). Guides to best practice have also been drawn up in Greece, Spain and Finland, covering welfare indicators and humane slaughter methods in particular.
The European Commission is proposing that Member States integrate fish welfare more fully into their national aquaculture control and development plans, and define clear thresholds for the main indicators.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/lo1 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)