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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFarmed fish are harvested and restrained, then ideally stunned so they lose consciousness immediately and cannot recover before death. Salmon are commonly killed after stunning by cutting the gill arches to bleed them. In practice, some farms still use ice chilling or ice-slurry asphyxia, carbon-dioxide exposure, removal from water, or bleeding without effective stunning. Which method is used depends on species, country, facility and equipment.
What should happen before a farmed fish dies?
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) states that farmed fish should be stunned before killing and that the stun should produce immediate, irreversible loss of consciousness. A fish that is stunned only temporarily must be killed before it can recover.
Harvest generally involves crowding fish, lifting or pumping them from the production water, restraining them and applying a stunning method. Staff then perform a separate killing step, or use equipment intended to stun and kill in sequence. Operators should check that every fish is unconscious, repeat the stun when necessary and maintain a backup method for failures.
How the principal stunning and killing methods work
Percussive (mechanical) stunning
A manual tool or automated device delivers a forceful blow above or beside the brain. A correctly placed, sufficiently powerful strike can cause immediate unconsciousness. A weak, poorly aimed or badly timed blow can leave a fish conscious, so each fish must be checked and re-stunned when needed. Equipment must be matched to the species and fish size.
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Electrical stunning
Fish pass through an electrically charged water bath or another electrode arrangement. Current strength, exposure time, frequency, water conductivity and species-specific settings all affect whether the stun works. Electrical stunning can be reversible; the fish therefore needs an immediate killing step. A 2026 WOAH review recommends a two-stage electrical process designed to make unconsciousness irrecoverable.
Gill cutting and bleeding after stunning
For salmonids, operators commonly cut the gill arches after stunning so the fish rapidly exsanguinates. The cut must be effective and made while the fish remains unconscious. A missed or incomplete cut can leave a conscious fish dying by bleeding or asphyxia, which is a significant welfare hazard.
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Ice chilling and ice-slurry asphyxia
Fish may be placed in ice, chilled water or an ice slurry until they die from cold stress and lack of oxygen. This is not the same as a reliable stun: loss of movement can occur while the fish remains capable of experiencing distress. WOAH classifies ice-asphyxia methods as poor-welfare options when effective mechanical or electrical stunning is feasible.
Carbon dioxide, air exposure and other methods
Documented practices also include carbon dioxide dissolved in water, combinations of ice and carbon dioxide, salt or ammonia baths, removal from water until asphyxiation, and exsanguination without prior stunning. The welfare outcome varies with procedure and monitoring, but WOAH considers methods that kill fish without effective pre-stunning unacceptable when a suitable stunning method is available.
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Which methods are reported for different farmed species?
The most detailed comparative evidence comes from a European Commission study using a 2009–2013 reference period. It covers reported practices in five species; it is not a current worldwide census.
| Species | Methods reported as common or notable | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic salmon | Percussive stunning, or electrical stunning followed by a killing method | Carbon-dioxide live chilling was used to a limited extent in Norway; carbon-dioxide stunning was also reported to a limited extent in Ireland. |
| Common carp | Manual blow to the head, often after time out of water, and electrical stunning | Exposure to air for 10 minutes was common in the cases reviewed and was described as stressful. |
| Rainbow trout | Electrical stunning and ice asphyxia | Manual percussion, carbon-dioxide stunning, and ice-water chilling followed by electrical stunning were reported less often. Ice asphyxia accounted for about 30% of Danish production in that study period. |
| European sea bass | Asphyxia in ice | Electrical stunning was experimental in Greece during the study period. |
| Gilthead sea bream | Asphyxia in ice | Electrical stunning was experimental in Greece during the study period. |
Are farmed fish stunned before slaughter?
Sometimes, but not everywhere. Percussive and electrical stunning are established options for several species, including salmon and trout, yet reported use differs among facilities and countries. Ice asphyxia, carbon dioxide, air exposure and bleeding without stunning have also been documented.
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Whether a method is acceptable depends on more than its label. Electrical stunning can fail if conductivity or settings are wrong; percussion can fail if the blow misses; and a gill cut can fail even after a successful stun. Effective systems require species- and size-appropriate settings, maintained equipment, trained staff, rapid follow-up killing and checks for signs of consciousness.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What makes a slaughter method more or less humane?
The central welfare test is whether the fish loses consciousness immediately and remains unconscious until death. The following factors determine how reliably that happens:
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- Non-Slip Super Polymer Grip - We use the most comfortable and slip-resistant, super polymer grips for your safety and comfort. These handles feel great in your hand and ensure that you always have a solid grip on your fillet knife. These handles also clean up easily and stay looking good longer.
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- Speed: Mechanical or correctly configured electrical stunning can produce rapid unconsciousness; chilling, carbon dioxide and air exposure may involve prolonged distress.
- Irreversibility: A reversible electrical stun requires an immediate killing step. A failed or delayed follow-up allows recovery.
- Accuracy: Misplaced blows, unsuitable electrical settings and incomplete gill cuts create individual failures that must be detected and corrected.
- Handling and time out of water: Crowding, pumping, lifting and air exposure add stress before the killing step.
- Species and size: Equipment and electrical parameters that work for one species or size class may not work for another.
- Throughput and monitoring: High-volume systems need continuous observation, maintenance and a practical backup stun so individual fish are not missed.
WOAH reports a broad scientific consensus that killing fish without stunning causes considerable suffering and should be considered unacceptable when pre-stunning is feasible.
How regulators and inspectors view these practices
WOAH provides an international welfare benchmark, but legal requirements and enforcement differ. A 2026 European Commission report found that many countries still lack specific fish-slaughter legislation and that official controls, monitoring, data use and staff training are inconsistent. A method may therefore be reported in a country without that report proving it is used everywhere or that it meets the strongest welfare standard.
Species-specific scientific opinions are maintained for farmed salmon, trout, eel, sea bass, sea bream, carp, turbot and tuna. The available prevalence examples remain geographically limited and rely largely on the 2009–2013 European reference period, so they should not be read as current global percentages.
Quick Recap
What a well-run harvest should look like
- Fish are gathered and handled with the shortest practical period of crowding and air exposure.
- A species- and size-appropriate mechanical or electrical stun is applied.
- Operators verify unconsciousness rather than assuming the equipment worked.
- Any fish showing signs of consciousness is immediately re-stunned.
- A killing step, such as effective gill cutting for salmonids, is completed before a reversible stun can wear off.
- Equipment settings, water conditions, maintenance and failure rates are monitored, with trained staff and a backup method available.
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