Aquaculture

Aquatic Animal Welfare Research Priorities

Research into aquatic animal welfare is advancing rapidly and identifying significant knowledge gaps that need urgent attention.

Key Facts

Fish pain research has accelerated significantly since the early 2000s
Crustacean and mollusc sentience research is at an earlier stage with more uncertainty
Welfare indicators for fish are being developed but standardisation is incomplete
Aquatic welfare research is chronically underfunded relative to the scale of aquatic animal use
The Aquatic Life Institute is a leading advocacy organisation for aquatic animal welfare

Welfare Considerations

Aquatic animal welfare research is both more advanced and more urgently needed than is generally recognised. The farming and fishing of billions of fish and invertebrates annually justifies significant research investment in welfare indicators, sentience evidence, and humane handling and slaughter methods. The science is moving fast and policy must keep pace.

What You Can Do

Support organisations funding aquatic animal welfare research
Advocate for welfare research requirements in aquaculture licensing
Choose aquaculture products from species with better-understood welfare needs
Support the work of the Aquatic Life Institute and similar organisations
Engage with scientific publications on fish and invertebrate welfare to stay informed