Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001689/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Niels Fuglsang (S&D), Robert Biedroń (S&D), Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE), Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Marianne Vind (S&D), Sebastian Everding (The Left), Maria Noichl (S&D), Isabella Lövin (Verts/ALE), Günther Sidl (S&D), Per Clausen (The Left), Michal Wiezik (Renew), Alice Kuhnke (Verts/ALE), Pär Holmgren (Verts/ALE), Christel Schaldemose (S&D)
While up to one billion fish are farmed in the EU each year, there are no rules to protect them. This allows unethical practices to persist.
Yet several opinions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) demonstrate that fish are sentient beings, and nine out of ten EU citizens want better protection for farmed fish. Cost-effective solutions are available, with a recent report by environmental economist Griffin Carpenter showing that implementing stunning in EU aquaculture is economically feasible[1].
The Commissioners for animal welfare and fisheries have reiterated their commitment to modernising the rules on animal welfare and making aquatic animal welfare a priority of their respective mandates.
The Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food calls for animal welfare standards to be applied to imports in order to boost food security and competitiveness in the EU.
In view of the above:
- 1.Will farmed aquatic animals be included in the scope of the upcoming consultations on the animal welfare legislation taking place this year?
- 2.Will the Commission commit to delivering species-specific welfare provisions for farmed fish and other aquatic animals, as part of the comprehensive modernisation of animal welfare laws on kept animals, slaughter and labelling, based on the upcoming EFSA opinions on farmed finfish and invertebrates?
Submitted: 28.4.2025
- [1] https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/library/stunning-results-eu-aquaculture.