Fish Welfare in Aquaculture: Physiological and Immunological Activities for Diets, Social and Spatial Stress on Mediterranean Aqua Cultured Species

Abstract

Welfare assessment currently is less well-characterized for aquatic animals and the classical methodologies used for terrestrial animals are not adequate to improve our knowledge about fish well-being. Among different approaches, the status of organism responses can be carried out using different physiological and biochemical tools. Here, we present the state of the art regarding fish welfare, methodologies, and experimental results with a particular focus on two important Mediterranean aquaculture species, Sparus aurata and Dicentrarchus labrax. We introduce an approach using physiological stress-indicators, growth performance and swimming activity to investigate the effects of the implantation of electronic tags to facilitate the application of telemetry for aquaculture purposes. The application of telemetry to research on aquatic organisms has expanded recently, and its utilization needs to be better understood. The mentioned approaches have been discussed for application in different aquaculture methodologies. Moreover, social stress and territoriality are relevant factors in the evaluation of gregarious species that may have consequences on the conditions of animals farmed in captivity. These aspects, that may impair the ability of fish to respond to various stimuli or negatively influence the flesh quality, here are analysed through behavioural observation, flanked by the physiological and immunological approach.

Recent Advances in Bioimage Analysis Methods for Detecting Skeletal Deformities in Biomedical and Aquaculture Fish Species

“…However, the occurrence of skeletal deformities in farmed gilthead seabream poses a significant challenge for the industry [72]. This issue results in economic losses, negatively affects consumers' perception of aquaculture, and raises concerns about the welfare of the fish [73]. While previous efforts have predominantly concentrated on reducing the occurrence of skeletal anomalies during the hatchery phase, current research is directed toward addressing the subsequent pre-ongrowing phase, where more severe deformities impacting the fish's external appearance often occur [41].…”

Fish Welfare-Related Issues and Their Relevance in Land-Based Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) Farms in Korea

“…Fish, similar to other animals, demonstrate sentience and are capable of experiencing pain, fear, anxiety, and stress [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], exhibiting sensory receptors sensitive to pain and physiological and behavioral stress responses similar to mammals when subjected to painful handling procedures [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Thus, vigilantly monitoring fish welfare is essential to ensure their humane treatment and a high quality of life free from pain and suffering [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

Quality indicators of fish from the water of the southern region of Ukraine

“…Fish, which is planned to be released for sale and used as food, must undergo a thorough microbiological and physicochemical study (Vehanen et al, 2020;Kurup et al, 2022;Dara et al, 2023;Sayed-Lafi & Al-Budairy, 2023).…”