The case for humane slaughter

A recent poll suggests consumers would support the adoption of electrical stunning as a humane slaughter method for sea bass and sea bream.

Animal welfare is becoming an increasingly important issue in livestock farming. It is impossible to consider welfare without looking at humane slaughter methods, and aquaculture is no exception.

Traditionally, fish slaughter has not taken much account of this, but times are changing. Scientific research suggests that fish are more capable of suffering and distress than might have been thought in the past, and there is also evidence that stress – which generates the production of cortisol in a fish’s body – can affect the quality of the product.

In the salmon industry, mechanical stunning prior to slaughter has become standard, but there is increasing interest in electrical stunning, whether for full-size salmon or for smolts, or smaller fish. Ace Aquatec, for example, one of the companies pioneering electrical stunning in salmon, has also been working on projects for the tilapia and shrimp industries.

The Centre for Aquaculture Progress (CAP), a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding solutions to reduce fish stress, was interested to see how much support there would be for introducing more humane slaughter methods for farmed sea bass and sea bream.

Directors of the Centre for Aquaculture Progress, Naomi Murn and Martin Wicke, presenting the study

In Europe, these are species largely farmed in the Mediterranean and Aegean, and CAP commissioned leading market research firm Savanta to analyse consumer attitudes The survey received responses from a total of 1,600 consumers equally distributed across Greece, Italy, Spain and France. These countries were selected due to their significant market size of sea bream and sea bass for fish producers from Greece.

The Greek aquaculture industry has experienced significant growth and is expected to grow further, with sea bream and sea bass being among the most commonly farmed fish species.

However, the CAG report says, the adoption of electrical stunning, a humane slaughter method that significantly improves fish welfare, has only been adopted to a very limited extent for these species.

The objectives of this study were:
1) to evaluate consumer attitudes towards electrical stunning as a humane slaughter method for sea bream and sea bass; and
2) to determine consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for humanely slaughtered fish.

A majority of 83% of respondents across all four countries expressed support for the use of pre-slaughter electrical stunning, indicating a widespread demand for improved fish welfare. This finding was consistent across all examined markets, suggesting that the desire for humane slaughter practices is consistent across Greece’s largest markets.

Furthermore, the study found that 80% of consumers who purchase sea bream and sea bass would be willing to pay an additional €0.05 (£0.04) per serving (defined as 200g) for fish that had been humanely slaughtered. While the observed willingness to pay more is similar across Greece, Italy, and France, it is lower in Spain. This result highlights the strong connection between consumer values and purchasing decisions, as well as the potential for producers to capitalise on this demand by implementing more humane practices.

Greek sea bass and sea bream – top four markets (Savanta/CAP)

Support for electrical stunning (Savanta/CAP)

Consumers are willing to pay more for humane methods (Savanta/CAP)

No major differences have been observed between different demographic groups (age, gender, and income levels), indicating broad support for these issues in the population.

Naomi Murn, Director at CAP, comments: “This is the first study to directly assess European consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay for electrically stunned sea bream and sea bass, which meant we didn’t know what the results were going to be. It was exciting to find that consumers have a strong preference for products that involve less fish stress and are willing to pay more to access them.

“Across Europe, we’ve observed a rising trend of consumers showing increased interest in how their food is produced. Our survey affirmed this trend, revealing that consumers care about animal welfare when making purchasing decisions at grocery stores.”

The CAP report argues that to position fish from Greek aquaculture as a responsible product for consumers to buy, fish welfare needs to be seriously considered.

It says: “In today’s market, consumers are increasingly conscious of the ethical implications of their purchasing decisions, seeking out products that align with their values and demonstrate a commitment to animal welfare.

“Relevant studies indicate that the price increase per serving of fish (200g) would be significantly less than €0.05. Estimates for Greek aquaculture suggest an increase of less than €0.02 [£0.017] per serving. These findings underscore the cost-effectiveness of implementing pre-slaughter electrical stunning in the aquaculture of sea bream and sea bass, as it allows producers to meet strong consumer demand without incurring substantial additional costs.”

Naomi Murn believes the study shows that the adoption of humane stunning methods would benefit aquaculture producers and consumers, as well as improving fish welfare.

Sea bream

She says: “Fish producers are increasingly recognising the growing demand for improved fish farming and slaughter practices. However, adopting new technologies can be challenging, and many fish producers perceive barriers to implementing new methods. This is why the Centre for Aquaculture Progress was initially established – to offer pro bono support to help producers adapt to evolving market needs and stay competitive.”

By working together, CAP argues, the industry can respond to the clear consumer preference for improved fish welfare, while also enhancing the overall sustainability and competitiveness of the sector.

Find out more:
Humane slaughter in Mediterranean sea bass and bream aquaculture: farm characteristics, stakeholder views, and policy implications (Frontiers in Aquaculture, 19 March 2024 – Koen van Pelt, Max Carpendale and Ren Ryba) bit.ly/4duIjS3
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the possibility of introducing certain requirements regarding the protection of fish at the time of killing (European Commission, March 2018) bit.ly/4epUik000Z
Producers interested in learning more about electrical stunning can contact CAP at info@centreforaquacultureprogress.org