Understanding CCTV and why the standards require it

From 22 July 2025, CCTV systems must cover the whole slaughter process, including initial system entry and exit, stunning, killing, and as fish pass through or into the post-stun assessment area.

CCTV is a vital tool for the monitoring and enforcement of standards during the stunning and slaughter processes. It is also an extremely effective way to help protect animal welfare. This has already been shown in abattoirs for terrestrial animals, which have had to have CCTV under the RSPCA welfare standards since 2011 - and now it’s a legal requirement. This change has played an important role in safeguarding animal welfare and showed there could be an appetite for making the presence of CCTV a legal requirement for fish at the time of slaughter at some point in the future.

CCTV footage can also be useful for training purposes and for providing records to assurance scheme assessors and other inspectors.

Members of the public are very supportive of mandatory CCTV in abattoirs and during the slaughter process due to the reassurance it provides that animal welfare standards are being met. So not only will these standards progress fish welfare, they will also help you with your marketability and appeal to consumers - we strongly believe implementing these progressive standards will help increase the trust consumers and retailers put in RSPCA Assured.