On December 22, EAST partnered with the Fisheries Agency, National Taiwan Ocean University and National Chiayi University to host the second Aquatic Animal Welfare Symposium. The symposium aims to foster improved understanding of aquatic animal welfare among industry and academic stakeholders.

The event marks the first time the symposium has been held since the formation of the Aquatic Animal Welfare Working Group under the Fisheries Agency in late 2022.

Deputy Director-General of the Fisheries Agency Chen Chien-you opened the symposium stating “whether it is from the perspective of sustainable fisheries, consumer awareness or international market trends, the government will work to advance fish welfare in the future.”

Professor CY Huang of the Department of Aquaculture at National Taiwan Ocean University stated that while the welfare of aquatic animals has long been neglected, the international community is spearheading research and industry efforts to address welfare needs. To date, however, progress has mostly been concentrated on widely-farmed salmon, with standards covering farming conditions and stocking density, harvesting, stunning and slaughter. Nevertheless, these leading standards even apply to ‘cleaner fish’ used to control disease in aquaculture settings, reflecting the principle of respect for all forms of life.

Wu Hung, chief executive of EAST, pointed out that there are 369 different species of finfish farmed by humans around the world, sharing research by the Fish Welfare Institute on the prioritization of fish species for welfare improvements. The research defines six criteria for prioritizing fish groups: sensitivity to negative stimuli, poor rearing conditions, scale of fish farming, neglectedness and tractability. Several species belonging to the priority groups identified by the research – Nile tilapia, milkfish and torpedo-shaped catfish – are commonly found on the Taiwan market.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) fish welfare coordinator Maria Filipa Castanheira described the development of new fish welfare standards – including humane slaughter methods – which will feature in the revised ASC Farm Standard. The standards will initially apply to farmed fish species and shrimp, with plans to expand to crabs, lobsters and other aquatic animals.

Castanheira emphasized that ASC prohibits the use of ice slurry as a form of stunning prior to slaughter to ensure fish welfare and food hygiene. This prohibition also applies to tropical fish species including Pangasius, Tilapia and Cobia.

In Taiwan, most fish are currently packed in ice slurry after removal from the water. The aquaculture industry portends that Taiwan has a subtropical climate and fish are ill-adapted to low temperatures, meaning the use of ice slurry results in effective stunning. This ongoing debate requires further research and clarification.

Professor Su-Mei Wu of the Department of Aquatic Biosciences at National Chiayi University shared research on the use of ice slurry to stun fish. Professor Wu’s research compared the length of time it takes fish to recover from ice immersion once returned to their normal temperature range and measures of physiological distress. However, Wu emphasized that this is a preliminary study and further research is required to determine if ice slurry results in effective stunning, including electrophysiological imaging of brain activity.

There was a consensus among industry and academic stakeholders in attendance that the cruel practice of ‘fish binding’ should be eliminated. Fish binding refers to binding fish into a U shape by threading a nylon thread from their mouths to their tails. The practice causes fish acute, prolonged suffering and increases the rate of spoilage. Wu Hung expressed that the international community is already moving to ban the sale of live fish to consumers, and called for Taiwan to establish regulations for fish farming, slaughter, transport and sale to protect the welfare of fish.

Fish have the ability to feel pain, stress and anxiety and have been found to collaborate, develop complex relationships and display numerical skills. The European Commission recognized that fish are sentient beings in 2009.

While fish are the subject of protections under Taiwan’s Animal Protection Act, their welfare is frequently overlooked.