SALMON AND TROUT
233. Farmed fish must be killed humanely, indeed the same principles of humane slaughter should apply to the killing of farmed fish as those which apply to the killing of farmed birds and mammals. The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 apply to all farmed animals including farmed fish. However, only the general provisions of the Regulations apply to fish. Those provisions make it an offence for any person engaged in the movement, restraint, stunning (see glossary for definition), slaughter or killing of fish to cause any, or permit any, fish to sustain any "avoidable excitement, pain or suffering". We believe this law should be interpreted as including avoidable fear and distress where it refers to "avoidable excitement, pain or suffering". The provisions also require that such persons have the knowledge and skill necessary to perform those tasks humanely and efficiently. Those parts of the 1995 Regulations which make specific provision with regard to the stunning of animals do not apply to fish. We consider that the three basic principles in those provisions should apply equally to fish. These are that stunning must cause immediate loss of consciousness which lasts until death, that fish must not be stunned unless they can be bled or otherwise killed without delay and, if fish are to be killed without prior stunning, any method used must result in rapid and irreversible loss of consciousness. In this context the relevant aspect of consciousness is sensibility to pain, fear or distress.
234. Prior to slaughter, fish are often deprived of food for some days. This is acceptable only in order to improve conditions for the fish during the stressful period of crowding and transport prior to slaughter (see also the section on feeding). Care should also be taken to minimise stress from handling operations prior to slaughter.