SeafoodWelfare.org – The Model Seafood Welfare Standard

Why Seafood Welfare

A Growing Concern

Customers expect food companies to provide basic protections from cruelty for all animals in their supply chain, including fish and crustaceans. Consumer concern for these animals is also beginning to increase as a growing body of research shows fish and crustaceans feel pain and stress just like pigs, chickens and other animals raised for food. Meanwhile, an increasing number of NGOs are publicly targeting food companies and producers who fail to address animal welfare in their seafood supply chains. Food companies that create seafood welfare policies in line with the welfare policies they have set for other animal proteins can meet customer expectations, reduce reputational and financial risk, and build brand value—all without impacting their bottom line.

The Policy

Model Seafood Welfare Standard

Farmed Seafood

“Farmed fish and crustacean suppliers must meet the animal welfare and feed standards of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Global Animal Partnership, RSPCA or Naturland, and use electrical or mechanical stunning followed by death while insensate.”

ALTERNATE WORDING

“Environments (stocking density, enrichments, crowding, handling and time out of water) must align with Global Animal Partnership, RSPCA, or Naturland standards.

Water conditions (temperature, pH, turbidity, oxygen, ammonia and carbon dioxide), disease and mortality must be tracked daily. Disease must be prevented with vaccinations and outbreaks treated with medication.

Mutilations including eyestalk ablation are prohibited.

Slaughter must use electrical or mechanical stunning to produce instant insensibility followed by death while insensate.”

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Environment

The Problem: Bad Environments

Cramming fish or crustaceans together in excessively high stocking densities creates similar issues as it does for other species, including increasing aggression, stress levels, disease and mortality.

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Water-Conditions

The Problem: Water Conditions

In the absence of proper daily monitoring of water conditions and disease, it is not uncommon for one third to one half of fish or crustaceans to slowly suffer to death from lice infestation or other debilitating diseases and simply be discarded.

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Mutilations

The Problem: Mutilations

Some shrimp producers cut off the eyes of mother fish as a way to get them to reproduce more quickly.

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Fish-Processing

The Problem: Slaughter

Many producers kill fish and crustaceans by cutting them open while they are alive and fully conscious, or by letting them slowly asphyxiate in the air or in an ice slurry over the course of up to an hour.

Wild-Caught Seafood

“Systems with bycatch or welfare issues (trawlers, dredges, gill nets, explosives, gaffing and ramping) are prohibited.

Bait fish and removing body parts from sensate animals are also prohibited.

Slaughter must use electrical or mechanical stunning to produce instant insensibility followed by death while insensate.

Time of capture must be under sixty minutes and time out of water under one minute.”

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Systems-with-Bycatch

The Problem: Destructive Catch Systems

Certain wild capture systems cause serious environmental destruction—such as destroying sea beds and releasing huge amounts of carbon from the sea floor—or kill large numbers of non-targeted animals as bycatch and simply discard them back into the ocean.

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Fish-Torture

The Problem: Mutilations

Some fishing companies cut open live fish or impale live fish on hooks to use them as live bait. Others cut fins or other body parts off of live animals.

The Problem: Slaughter

Many producers kill fish and crustaceans by cutting them open while they are alive and fully conscious, or by letting them slowly asphyxiate in the air or in an ice slurry over the course of up to an hour.

Model-Seafood-Welfare-Standard-Time-of-Capture

The Problem: Time of Capture

Some wild capture systems allow fish to dangle impaled on hooks or be crammed together with tens of thousands of others in nets for days before hauling them in. Others allow fish to slowly asphyxiate on deck instead of immediately slaughtering them after landing.

A Standard With Broad Support

Endorsing Organizations

While seafood is a complex issue, and different NGOs and consultancies have different views on the most important welfare challenges and the best ways to address them, the following entities working on seafood welfare agree that the policy improvements listed above would represent a positive step forward in addressing some of the key seafood welfare problems.

A Growing Trend

Leading food companies are embracing seafood welfare

Espresso House

Espresso House, one of Europe’s largest cafe chains, has pledged to meet the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all seafood sourced for its over 500 cafes across the continent.

DO&CO

Do & Co, a leading global catering company that provides food service to over 60 airlines as well as restaurants, hotels and event venues in 12 countries across North America, Europe and Asia, has pledged to meet the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all seafood sourced across its global supply chain.

Costco

Major U.S. retailer Costco has pledged to meet the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all farmed seafood sold in its 630 stores across the U.S.

Holland America

Prominent cruise line operator Holland America has pledged to meet the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all farmed seafood sourced across its global supply chain.

AEON

Leading Asian supermarket chain AEON has pledged to meet the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all seafood sourced for its Malaysia stores, and for all farmed shrimp sourced for its Japanese stores.

Findus

Major frozen foods brand Findus has implemented the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all farmed seafood sold in the Italy market.

S Group

Major Finland retailer S Group has implemented the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s policies for all fresh salmon and chilled fish under its own-brand label at its over 2,000 supermarkets, service stores, hotels and restaurants across the country.

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Seafood Suppliers Directory

Browse SeafoodWelfare.org’s comprehensive directory of seafood suppliers to see which meet some or all of the Model Seafood Welfare Standard’s parameters.

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