Fish play a crucial role in human nutrition, and their importance in aquaculture will only grow as our global population increases. However, with an estimated 78 to 171 billion farmed fish produced annually, concerns about humane slaughter practices are increasingly in focus as fish welfare gains attention. Despite international guidelines promoting humane killing methods, inhumane techniques like asphyxiation and exsanguination without stunning remain prevalent across industries. These practices negatively affect public perceptions about farmed fish and may also have detrimental effects on product quality, both of which are critical for responsible industry advancement. The current study assessed the effectiveness of ike-jime (pithing), percussive stunning, and asphyxiation to humanely kill rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and hybrid striped bass (white bass, Morone chrysops ♀ × striped bass, Morone saxatilis ♂), as well as the subsequent impacts on product quality. The effectiveness of each stunning and/or killing method was assessed using a robust neurophysiological indicator of consciousness - that is, the presence or absence of visually evoked responses (VERs) in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Product quality was measured across a suite of parameters including evolution of rigor mortis, muscle pH, drip loss, flesh color, and muscle fiber microstructure. Results will be shared that demonstrate correlations between humanely slaughtered fish and subsequent product quality in hopes of promoting innovation and gaining support at all steps of the seafood supply chain.