WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2018 25 per year. Consumers of animal proteins are increasingly concerned with animal welfare issues and their concern is rapidly focusing also on farmed and wild-caught fish. Consumers seem to be willing to pay a certain price premium for aquaculture products that are certified to an animal welfare standard (from few cents in the USA to 50 percent more in Norway). This means that introducing and engaging in additional fish welfare requirements can make economic sense for the industry (Binnekamp and Ingebleek, 2006, Frewer et al. 2005, Olesen et al. 2010, Solgaard and Yang 2011, Grimsrud et al. 2013). Increasing scientific evidence confirms that finfish, crustaceans and molluscs are sentient, can feel pain and joy, have social lives and memory. The Swiss NGO fair-fish has been the precursor of the pro fish welfare movement. Captured fish do not generally die humanely, without pain, and following loss of consciousness. Instead, depending on use of nets or hooks, fish can experience exhaustion and decompression, with swim bladders burst and crushed. The indirect impact of by-catch of non-target fish is well known, as well as potential habitat and seabed impacts. These are factors that likely reduce aquatic species welfare. Suggested improvements include not using live fish as bait, reducing time from hauling nets to the actual death and improving fishing gears. Wild-catch standards such as MSC and Friend of the Sea focus more on the impacts of a fishery on the environment, rather than on fish welfare, even though they indirectly approach and tackle some of the above mentioned issues that could impact fish welfare. There is space for improvement to both standards in terms of introduction of fish welfare standards. Fish Welfare in Aquaculture Certification Schemes As far as aquaculture standards, it is interesting to understand if and how the various major standards for sustainable and responsible aquaculture have included fish welfare among their requirements (Cooke 2016). • The focus of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard is on the environmental and social impacts of aquaculture. Although animal welfare is not included explicitly, it is addressed indirectly in most of the individual ASC species standards. • The GlobalG.A.P. aquaculture standard covers legal compliance, food safety, worker welfare, environmental care, ecological care and animal welfare. • The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standard predominantly focuses on environmental responsibility. The animal welfare component is most comprehensively covered in the salmon standard, but it is less well covered in the general Finfish and Crustacean Farms standard, which is applicable to all other species. • RSPCA Assured (previously Freedom Food) standards stipulate a high level of fish welfare. RSPCA Assured is recognized as the only scheme in Europe dedicated to farm animal welfare. • The EU Organic Aquaculture regulation covers animal welfare issues to a greater extent compared to other sustainable and responsible certification standards. • Although animal welfare is not yet included explicitly in the Friend of the Sea standards, it is addressed indirectly in most of the individual FOS species standards through water quality parameters, siting of production facilities, procedures for the treatment of sick fish, and transportation. Looking Forward Recently, Friend of the Sea and the Swiss association fair-fish international have been awarded a grant from the US-based Open Philanthropy Project to promote animal welfare principles among Friend of the Sea’s aquaculture certified companies. Findings from these assessments will then be used to develop animal welfare criteria for inclusion in Friend of the Sea’s standards in 2019. The role of seafood certification programs is not only one of providing consumers with an ecolabel to make a more environmentally aware choice. They have the potential to drive major changes in the industry and lead shipowners, fish producers and processing companies to introduce gradually fish welfare rules and procedures in their company policies. The development of such certification schemes and their harmonization at an international level, with technological improvements in the industry, will contribute to reduce environmental impact, protect marine habitats, and improve welfare of farmed and wild-caught fish worldwide. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 26) Friend of the Sea certified Atlantic salmon. In the future, aquaculture certification standards may include fish welfare as a consideration.
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