The main objective of this COST Action is to improve the knowledge on welfare of fish and
formulate a set of guidelines embodying a common and scientifically sound understanding of
the concept of welfare in farmed fish and to construct a range of targeted operational welfare
indicator protocols to be used in the industry.
The Action will focus principally upon the five main farmed species in Europe, namely salmon,
rainbow trout, sea bass, sea bream and carp. The outcomes of the Action are also expected to
have direct implications for welfare concepts in the use of experimental animals, keeping of
ornamental fish, and for wild fisheries.
Secondary objectives
1. Evaluation of existing knowledge generated from fundamental fish biology research for
its relevance from a welfare and comparative species perspective (WG1).
2. The use of expertise from within the consortium, to define techniques and systems for
validating specific aspects of welfare and operational welfare indicators using a range
of physiological, behavioural and motivational research strategies.(WG1).
3. Identification of gaps in knowledge and changing research focus to ensure that studies
do not concentrate only upon avoidance of negative welfare but also involve research
describing positive welfare indicators and targeting physiological balance and
wellbeing of the animal (WG1).
4. Description and definition of nutritional, health, behavioural and environmental
parameters from a welfare perspective (WG2).
5. Description and definition of management protocols that promote good welfare at a
farm level (WG2).
6. Use of expertise from within the consortium, to create a series of Operational Welfare
Indicator (OWI) matrices for the five main farmed species of European aquaculture
based on existing and new knowledge (WG2).
7. Identification of experimental methods and existing but underutilised data sets that can
be used for evaluating/simulating management systems, including systems associated
with different species, farming systems, life stages and environmental
conditions.(WG3).
8. Provision of information to inform the fish welfare debate and help develop legislation
and legislative processes related to fish welfare, through meetings, reports,
publications and co-organisation of international conferences and workshops (WG3).
9. Description of the present state of welfare-directed activity of participating countries
and formulation of country specific advice/activities (WG3).
10. Formulation of activities/advice as to how best to promote the transition from systems
based upon purely technical solutions to systems based upon realising the biological
production potential of the animal (WG3).
11. Facilitation of communication between ongoing initiatives at a national and
international level with particular emphasis upon the promotion of links with relevant
activities in terrestrial farmed animals and activities aimed at understanding the
consumer impact on future animal production.
12. Facilitation of knowledge transfer and training through short scientific missions
between established and new research groups. Interaction along North-South and
West-East geographic axes will be encouraged.
