Aquaculture fish welfare recognizes the scientifically established sentience of fish, and impact on fish health, productivity, and quality among others. Farmed fish are in a state of good welfare when: their living environment meets their natural and behavioral needs, they are in optimal health, they are free of negative experiences (such as pain, fear, hunger, thirst, distress), and they have access to positive experiences (such as social companionship, co-existence, and environmental compatibility). One Health and Development Initiative (OHDI) implemented train-the-trainer workshops in Nigeria to educate and build the capacity of fish farmers on fish welfare practices and its integration on their fish production systems. The training topics introduced them to the concept of fish welfare and practices, with welfare considerations in several aspects of fish production such as growing systems, stocking density, feeding, water quality, handling, transportation, environmental enrichment, and fish health.
To evaluate the change in knowledge of fish farmers on fish welfare, questionnaires were applied for pre-and post-training surveys on 87 fish farmers who were selected and t rained over 3 pilot training sessions in Ibadan and Abeokuta, Nigeria. A preliminary survey of fish farmers showed that most have little knowledge of fish welfare, its impacts, and benefits. Results showed an overall 30% increase in knowledge of farmers on fish welfare practices, especially in feeding, handling, transportation, and slaughtering of fish. At least 64% self-reported excellent understanding of all topics with highest satisfaction of welfare practices in feeding (81%), benefits of fish welfare practices (80%), water quality (80%), handling (78%), and growing systems (76%). The reviews on the workshops’ delivery, showed 60% reported excellent satisfaction, with the highest received in facilitators engagement (100%), group works (82%), and conducive learning environment (82%). Furthermore the farmers indicated that handling, feeding, water quality and slaughtering were the most important fish welfare practices that they committed to implementing on their fish farms.
These results demonstrate significant impacts and benefits of the fish welfare training on fish farmers with considerable increase in their knowledge, capacity, and commitment to implementing fish welfare practices on their farms. It was recommended that the training should be scaled up and there should be follow-up research to evaluate farmers’ on-site implementation of fish welfare practices and impacts on their fish farms.