Farmed fish welfare-suffering assessment and impact on product quality

Abstract

Fish welfare, suffering and the perception of pain were debated, together with several factors reducing infra vitam welfare of farmed fish (genetic, environment, density, malnutrition, starvation, cataracts, deformities, vaccination side effects, transport, handling, confinement, crowding, harvesting, killing method). Behavioural and physiological stress responses were considered as indicators of welfare reduction. The effects of pre-slaughter management practices, and the most commonly used stunning/slaughtering methods on welfare and quality reduction of farmed fish were discussed. A number of indicators can be used to assess fish welfare-suffering, both in a scientific and practical context, such as behavioural, haematic, cellular, tissue post mortem fish stress and quality indicators, but none of them are optimal. The best strategy for a reliable assessment of fish welfare/suffering and their impact on product quality is a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account animal behaviour and the different biochemical and physiological ante mortem and post mortem processes involved: several components, all influenced in a similar way by the same condition, suggest real welfare and quality reduction. (genetica, ambiente, densità, malnutrizione, digiuno, cataratta, deformità, vaccinazione, trasporto, manipolazione, confinamento, affollamento, raccolta, metodo di uccisione

Farmed fish welfare: stress, post-mortem muscle metabolism, and stress-related meat quality changes

“…The second reason is associated with the need of objective methodologies to assess the impact of farming, ante-mortem procedures, stunning, and killing methods on welfare and fish meat quality. As reviewed by Poli (2009): ''a number of indicators can be used to assess fish welfare-suffering, both in a scientific and practical context, such as behavioral, haematic, cellular, tissue post-mortem fish stress and quality indicators, but none of them are optimal.''. In this context, the main purpose of the present work was to trace the relationship between the pre-mortem stress, the course of post-mortem metabolic processes and the potential changes in some quality indicators of fish meat.…”

Twenty Years of Research in Seabass and Seabream Welfare during Slaughter

“…It is understood that consumer acceptance of aquaculture products will be increasingly influenced by the extent to which the industry is perceived to be dealing with fish welfare, obviously including the time of slaughter [24], with a growing insistence among consumers that the animals they eat were well treated [11]. The challenge for the fish farming industry in this context is to demonstrate that this activity is conducted in an ethical and humane manner [25].…”

“…The impact of entire processes on welfare varies significantly depending on the species [28], and it also affects fish quality because pre-slaughter handling and slaughter methods start an irreversible process of flesh degradation [29]. Indeed, a multidisciplinary approach that considers animal behaviour as well as the various biochemical and physiological ante mortem and post-mortem processes could be the best strategy for determining fish welfare during stunning/slaughtering procedures and their impact on product quality [24]. Hence, techniques for pre-slaughter and slaughter should be used to reduce the level of evoked stress response and physical activity [30].…”

“…The K-value, which measures the concentration of muscle ATP and its degradation metabolites, can be used to detect slaughtering distress [24]. During storage of seabream using ice slurry, higher values of the ratio ATP/IMP are observed than when using carbon dioxide [40].…”

Effect of dietary intake of phenolic compounds from mango peel extract on growth, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

“…Assessment of oxidative stress indicators in farmed fish can be used as an index of welfare and muscle quality of fish of commercial interest (Sicuro et al, 2010;Chulayo & Muchenje, 2015;Villasante et al, 2015). Analyses of oxidative stress indicators in different tissues can be performed to provide additional information about fish health (Poli, 2009). For example, the fish liver has an important role in detoxification, and its enzymatic antioxidant defense system helps to maintain redox homeostasis (Li et al, 2015;Martínez-Álvarez et al, 2005).…”