Results from our new survey – out today – show that 8 out of 10 people in the United States want better protection for farmed fish and support best practice, science-led legislation for farmed fish welfare. 

People across the U.S. polled on farmed fish welfare

We partnered with Eurogroup for Animals to undertake a survey – carried out by Sapience, which polled more than 1,000 people in the U.S. 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 658 million pounds are of fish are farmed each year in the U.S. 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 U.S., 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: people in the U.S. want change.

• Many U.S. citizens are oblivious to the most common fish farming methods and their consequences. 58% showed low awareness of current fish farming practices. For example, only 19% are aware that most farmed salmon are deaf due to intensive breeding practices.
• 64% of people believe that fish can feel pain.
• 60% of people support legislation to require stunning before slaughter of aquatic animals.

When it comes to buying fish products, an overwhelming 7 out of 10 people said they would like to ​buy fish raised in better welfare conditions, while 49% 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. 

Alex Cragun, U.S. Head of Campaigns at Compassion in World Farming added: “Our new survey shows that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens polled care about the welfare of farmed fish. However, many are unaware of the cruelty that can be inflicted on-farm and during slaughter. All this needless suffering occurs because they lack legal protection. Fish, like animals farmed on land, are sentient beings, who need laws to minimize their suffering. We need Congress to respond to the public’s concerns by passing the OCTOPUS Act of 2024 and introducing legislation providing federal protections for farmed fish.” 

The survey was completed by 1,053 respondents in the U.S. between March 20 and April 5, 2024. The surveyed samples were representative of the national population in terms of age, gender and region. The survey was carried out in a total of 12 countries, in partnership with Eurogroup for Animals, including China, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and United Kingdom.