Aquaculture and Fisheries

Animal Welfare in Aquaculture

As the aquaculture industry continues to grow, more considerations throughout the production cycle of farmed seafood arise. Animal health and welfare is a vital component of aquaculture, and is greatly impacted by environmental conditions and the basics of aquaculture.
Throughout history, producers have learned about animal husbandry through direct observation, as with cows and pigs, etc. However, as aquatic animals live underwater, direct observation has not been possible until recently. New technology has allowed producers to get a better look into their animals’ wellbeing, and in turn, take better care of them. These are sentient animals, there is a responsibility on the farmer to practice good husbandry and to keep the welfare of the animals in mind. Because we are farming them and responsible for their whole life cycle, we have a responsibility there. We count animal welfare as critical to delivering responsibly produced, modern products.