Looking beyond the Shoal: Fish Welfare as an Individual Attribute

Area of Science:

• Animal Welfare Science
• Aquaculture
• Ethology

Background:

• Animal welfare is an individual attribute, difficult to manage in high-density farming.
• Intensive animal farming, particularly fish farming, involves large group sizes, complicating welfare provision.
• Current aquaculture practices often overlook individual fish needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence that fish are individuals and their welfare should be assessed individually.
• To examine current welfare assessment methods in the aquaculture industry.
• To propose research directions for improving individual fish welfare in captive environments.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific evidence on fish individuality and welfare.
• Comparative analysis of aquaculture welfare assessment with terrestrial animal welfare methods.
• Synthesis of findings to formulate recommendations for future research.

Main Results:

• Evidence supports the notion that fish are individuals with unique welfare states.
• Existing aquaculture welfare assessments may not adequately address individual needs.
• Terrestrial animal welfare assessment models offer insights for fish farming.

Conclusions:

• Fish welfare must be considered at the individual level, mirroring terrestrial animal welfare science.
• Aquaculture practices need to evolve to incorporate individualized welfare assessments.
• Further research is crucial to develop and implement effective methods for ensuring individual fish welfare in captivity.