Tambaqui is the most important native freshwater aquaculture species in Brazil, with welfare considerations gaining attention as production scales up.
Tambaqui welfare in Brazilian aquaculture reflects the broader challenge of scaling up production for a native species without adequate welfare protocols. Harvest and slaughter practices are a primary welfare concern - live transport to market and slaughter by asphyxiation in ice-water cause prolonged, stressful deaths. Handling during net harvest and grading causes scale loss and injury. The development of species-specific welfare guidelines, including anaesthetic protocols and humane slaughter methods, is an important step as Brazilian aquaculture continues to expand globally.