Tilapia crowd together in a pen in Thailand while waiting to be fed. IoA professor Dave Little says there are serious welfare issues across Asia and an urgent need to drive change.

Scottish university granted £780,000 to improve fish welfare in Thailand and Vietnam

Change can reduce losses and produce higher standard of meat, says expert

Editorial team
Published

Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA) has been awarded £780,000 to improve the welfare of farmed fish in Thailand and Vietnam, with the aim of enhancing the quality of fish for human consumption.

The funding from Open Philanthropy will help researchers improve resources for farmers in areas where fish produced is eaten locally and where there are some of the largest concentrations of the production and consumption of farmed fish and shellfish globally.

Professor Dave Little hopes the funding will help vastly improve aquatic animal welfare in Southeast Asia.

IoA deputy head Professor Dave Little is one of the researchers leading the project. He said: “Across Asia there are serious welfare issues that affect millions of aquatic animals and there is an urgent need to drive change. In addition, there is very little awareness about the importance of improving the situation.

“This significant research funding will help tackle these issues and we hope it will vastly improve aquatic animal welfare, result in fewer losses, produce a higher standard of meat, and boost the economy.”

Transformational change

The research will support transformational change in the welfare of farmed fish across the continent, the IoA said in a press release. Interventions will have the potential to avoid unnecessary harm and pain to the fish, help farmers improve efficiency and business resilience, support a sustainable environment, contribute to a healthier general population, and combat poverty and hunger.

The team of aquaculture academics will do this by:

  • mapping opportunities for improved welfare
  • establishing networks of stakeholders
  • supporting education and advocacy
  • research into delivering improvements and removing barriers
  • developing guidelines

Outcomes will be disseminated through videos, podcasts, course materials and a resource website, publicised through social media channels and relevant publications.

Innovative and practical

A key element of the project will be supporting local researchers and working closely with other stakeholders to develop innovative approaches to improving fish welfare practically, all while raising awareness and interest among consumers. The work will fund and support the development of the most promising small projects in both countries to help achieve these goals.

The project will also make a fully funded MSc scholarship to study at the IoA available to a Thai and Vietnamese national, harnessing and growing the potential of local talent to continue work in this area into the future.

The project will last two years and is also being led by Professor Jimmy Turnbull, strategic lead on animal welfare; Dr Amaya Albalat, senior lecturer in welfare and behaviour; and Dr Sonia Rey Planellas, lecturer in welfare and behaviour.

Open Philanthropy is run by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, who has an estimated net worth of $11.3 billion, and his wife, Cari Tuna.

institute of aquaculture stirling university news aquatic animal welfare open philanthropy