Aquaculture Welfare Science: Key Research Institutions and Findings

Dedicated research institutions are advancing fish welfare science at pace, translating knowledge of fish sentience and physiology into practical welfare improvements.

Key Facts

The Institute of Marine Research in Norway has pioneered operational welfare indicator development for Atlantic salmon
Bristol University's Fish Lab has produced influential work on pain evidence in fish and welfare assessment
The Fish Welfare Initiative was founded in 2018 as the first dedicated fish welfare organisation
Welfare Quality for Aquaculture is adapting the Welfare Quality framework to farmed fish species
The COST Action AquaWelFish coordinates European research on aquaculture fish welfare
Rethink Priorities has applied EA analytical frameworks to estimate the scale of welfare concern in farmed fish

Welfare Considerations

The rapid advancement of fish welfare science over the past two decades represents one of the most significant developments in animal welfare research. The translation from basic sentience research to practical operational welfare indicators usable on farms is occurring faster for fish than for many other species that received welfare attention earlier. Key institutions are building a robust evidence base that is beginning to influence regulation, certification and industry practice. Supporting this research and its translation to policy is an important contribution to large-scale animal welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Follow and share research from leading fish welfare institutions to amplify their findings
Donate to the Fish Welfare Initiative supporting practical welfare improvement in aquaculture
Support academic institutions conducting fish welfare research
Advocate for fish welfare research to be included in governmental research funding priorities
Engage with fish welfare science in your community — share evidence that fish experience pain and stress