New Report from the Fair Fish/catch Project

A new report from the Carefish/catch consortium sheds light on animal welfare concerns in small-scale longline fishing in southern Portugal. This traditional technique, where lines of baited hooks are lowered to the seabed to catch species like white seabream, common two-banded seabream, and red porgy, is often valued for its low environmental impact and cultural significance. Yet the study finds clear opportunities to improve how fish are treated. 

Researchers conducted eleven sea outings, examining fish condition through direct observation and blood analysis. They measured stress indicators such as cortisol, glucose, lactate, and salt concentrations, which rise when fish are exposed to air. While many fish seemed active at capture, their vitality declined sharply. Within an hour, red porgies often showed no reactions—pointing to intense suffering. Blood results indicated stress was already high at retrieval, likely due to the prolonged struggle on the hook. 

The report identifies two key stages where welfare can decline: during capture and onboard handling. Recommendations include: 

• Reducing the time fish remain hooked to limit injuries and exhaustion. 
• Adopting welfare-friendly gear such as circular or barbless hooks. 
• Improving handling through crew training and awareness. 
• Stunning and killing fish swiftly and correctly, for example, with a targeted blow to the head followed by bleeding. 

The Carefish/catch project works in partnership with Friend of the Sea, a certification programme for fisheries, to help implement these measures in practice. This initiative is part of a wider international effort to include animal welfare in sustainable fishing standards.

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