OPINIÃO PÚBLICA E EDUCAÇÃO SOBRE ABATE HUMANITÁRIO DE PEIXES NO MUNICÍPIO DE ARAUCÁRIA, PARANÁ

Abstract

Society is in need of information regarding fish welfare, including sentience and suffering through fish farming and slaughter methods. The objectives of this work were: (1) to increase knowledge regarding public opinion on fish humane slaughter; and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of education of fish cleaners on the fair regarding fish humane slaughter. Interviews were applied in two scenarios: on a Municipal Live Fish Fair and on a bus station. In the fair 88.0% of 314 respondents affirmed that fish feel pain; and on the bus station, 86.9% of 43 interviewed people affirmed the same; 55.7% reported to buy and transport live fish in dry plastic bags, characterizing slow death by asphyxiation, as opposed to 39.5% respectively. From interviewed people, 85.0% and 89.0% believe that some of the slaughter methods cause fish suffering; 52.9% and 44.1% affirmed this suffering affect meat quality, respectively. Of all people, 91.1% did not have any information regarding humane slaughter. Of the cleaners, 83.3% adopted the humane slaughter procedure taught and 75.0% affirmed that the technique facilitated the cleaning work. It is important to educate society in terms of fish sentience and its implications, especially in terms of their welfare and humane slaughter. KEY WORDS: Animal welfare, Brazil, sentience.