Most animal welfare laws are written for farmed land animals with some extending to farmed aquatic animals. Wild aquatic animals caught at sea are often excluded or not clearly covered. Governments are beginning to recognize sentience in law. For example, the UK’s Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 explicitly recognizes cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) and decapod crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, lobsters) as sentient, though it has yet to regulate how they should be caught or killed.

There are more regulations and rules on bycatch, protected species, gear restrictions, food safety, and fisheries management. These rules can indirectly improve welfare, but welfare is usually not their main purpose and they do not cover the full capture process. In the meantime, some fishing companies, retailers, standards bodies, and research groups are starting to act voluntarily to improve fisheries welfare - through updated sourcing policies, pilot projects and incorporating welfare criteria into certifications.