Fish farming is booming to keep up with increased demand for seafood—but better aquaculture practices are needed to design healthier and more humane fisheries, says Victoria Braithwaite, professor of fisheries and biology. A decade's worth of research by Braithwaite and her colleagues suggesting that fish feel pain has had a ripple effect among fish farmers, anglers, and animal ethics groups.

Do fish feel pain? The question is so troubling that many wish it were not even asked in a serious way, let alone answered.