MyFishCheck: A Model to Assess Fish Welfare in Aquaculture.

Linda Tschirren,Ali Cem Güler,Nicola Rhyner,Oliver Blaser,Helmut Segner,David Bachmann,Andreas Seitz,Dominik Refardt,Thomas Wahli,Erich Zbinden

doi:10.3390/ani11010145

Abstract

Simple SummaryWelfare is a key aspect in animal husbandry. However, in aquaculture, scientifically validated and practically proven methods to evaluate fish welfare are largely missing. With raising societal requirements for animal-friendly husbandry, this lack represents a problem for farmers and scientists alike. We therefore developed MyFishCheck, a comprehensive model and a user-friendly app to assess and document welfare as part of the working routines in fish husbandry. The app enables an easy and standardised measurement of relevant, practicable and reliable parameters, from which the model calculates intuitive welfare grades. Both the model and the app are explicitly designed to be adaptable to new knowledge and any fish species and husbandry system. MyFishCheck allows a standardised evaluation and digital documentation of fish welfare. As a result, improvements can be tracked and problems identified early. We hope that MyFishCheck proves to be a useful tool for fish farmers and supports them in their effort to improve welfare in aquaculture.Welfare in animal husbandry includes considerations of biology, ethics, ecology, law and economics. These diverse aspects must be translated into common quantifiable parameters and applicable methods to objectively assess welfare in animals. To assist this process in the field of aquaculture, where such methods are largely missing, we developed a model to assess fish welfare. A network of information was created to link needs, i.e., fundamental requirements for welfare, with parameters, i.e., quantifiable aspects of welfare. From this ontology, 80 parameters that are relevant for welfare, have practicable assessment methods and deliver reliable results were selected and incorporated into a model. The model, named MyFishCheck, allows the evaluation of welfare in five distinct modules: farm management, water quality, fish group behaviour, fish external and fish internal appearance, thereby yielding five individual grades categorising welfare ranging from critical, to poor, to acceptable, and good. To facilitate the use of the model, a software application was written. With its adaptability to different fish species, farming systems, regulations and purposes as well as its user-friendly digital version, MyFishCheck is a next step towards improved fish welfare assessment and provides a basis for ongoing positive developments for the industry, the farmers and the fish.

Highlights

Awareness of animal welfare in Europe emerged in 18th century literature, where philosophers attributed to animals the capacity to feel [1] and to suffer [2]
Scientists can benefit from a comprehensive model that allows a detailed assessment of fish welfare, while a simplified version of the same model has an increased practicability that assists fish farmers in their daily routines. (III) We provide a user-friendly version of the model by means of a software application
The MyFishCheck model developed here allows researchers to assess fish welfare based on the full model in a standardised and efficient way

Summary

Introduction

Awareness of animal welfare in Europe emerged in 18th century literature, where philosophers attributed to animals the capacity to feel [1] and to suffer [2]. Aquaculture has caught up to these standards only recently, with fish being ascribed the ability to perceive pain beyond simple nociception less than two decades ago [7,8,9,10,11]. This insight, as well as a better understanding of stress physiology in teleosts [12] and ethical, environmental and economical thinking [13], gave rise to the topic of fish welfare [14]

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Discussion

Conclusion