In contrast with livestock, animal welfare in aquaculture remains a highly neglected topic. Where the few welfare standards for aquaculture exist, the implementation model is usually top down, meaning that certification bodies are the ones stepping in to address rising consumer awareness about poor farming conditions. However, this model has its limitations as it relies on a niche of educated and sympathetic consumers. Little effort has been made to understand, support, and encourage farmers’ own intrinsic motivation to achieve good animal welfare. Farmers are the most important actors driving improvements in aquaculture pr oduction chains and their willingness to produce food in better ways can be supported through practical farm assessments that align both business and ani mal welfare objectives.
Farm animal assessment
Working with scientists and farmers in Brazil, Thailand and China , Food Animal Initiative (FAI) has developed a new bottom-up approach for the assessment of farm animal welfare. The assessments help farmers understand what good animal welfare looks like and show them how it can naturally lead to the better fulfilment of the animals’ nutritional, health, environmental and behavioural needs. Welfare a ssessments can kickstart a positive spiral of improvements, tapping into farmers’ innate need to be better and do better. If a problem is identified, actions are likely to be taken to fix or improve it, resulting in better animal welfare. The assessment protocol and tool developed by FAI can be used by farmers and/or other stakeholders. The tool users are guided through a series of simple questions that will help them to monitor and drive progress regarding welfare and best practices.
What will the framework deliver to the t ilapia f arming and s upply chain?
Conclusion and next steps
With the proven successful application of the framework and tools in Brazil, Thailand and China, we understand that Egypt would be the next logical region in which to introduce this, given it is one of the major tilapia producing countries in the world. FAI and partners aim to develop partnerships in Egypt to replicate this initiative in a way that is tailored to the country’s culture and production systems, whilst being driven by science and practical knowledge.