Welfare of farmed fish: moral considerations, science, and problems of implementation

The question whether fish are worthy of moral consideration, and thus, can be included in humanity’s expanding circle, was first raised the 1990s. After turn millennium, “fish welfare” used by more scientists field aquaculture, animal advocates, politicians, legislators, farming industry, consumers (Kristiansen Bracke, 2020). For several years, widespread view amongst scientific community that welfare intimately connected with absence stress disease. There is no doubt that, stress, health, strongly interrelated, but not a simplistic manner. Stress response an essential, genetically embedded, adaptive mechanism designed to secure survival other critical biological functions. Therefore, it crucial determine, species- life-stage specific way, at what point do we cross red line does impair welfare. We should also characterise allostatic load overload, as well coping styles behavioural traits, over time across situations, leading differential among proactive reactive individuals. This important due different gene x environmental interactions given individual may show following exposure stressor same nature, duration, intensity, based on its cognitive capacity, ability appraisal controllability predictability situation or challenge (Korte et al., 2007).