Trout members hub
Around 17,000 tonnes of Rainbow trout is produced in Britain each year*. But only a small percentage of these trout are reared in higher welfare conditions that give them a good quality of life. Most trout are reared in lower welfare conditions, with little to no legal protections - living in stressful environments with high stocking densities, badly managed disease challenges and poor water quality.
Trout are social, inquisitive, intelligent and have complex needs that should be met by their environment on a farm. Farmers can give trout good living conditions and a better quality of life by following the RSPCA welfare standards.
RSPCA Assured continues to work hard alongside the RSPCA to continually progress trout welfare and provide important education on farming to higher welfare standards. 94% of the UK population consume some form of animal produce (meat, eggs, fish or dairy), and 83% say they have no plans to remove animal produce from their diets. That’s why the work we do together with our members is more important than ever; without their collaboration, millions of animals would be farmed to lower welfare standards. Because of our collective efforts, millions of trout are living better lives. That’s something to be proud of.
The RSPCA’s trout welfare standards have recently been updated with amendments that come into effect on 23 July 2025 (please check out our Q&A page for detailed information about the standards). We hope this hub will help all of our incredible trout farming members understand these changes better and their impact.
