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The welfare of farmed fish is increasingly becoming a topic of public concern and it is assumed that focus on welfare issues will strongly increase in the future. The UK Animal Welfare Council has postulated five domains in which animal welfare may be compromised, the so-called ”Five Freedoms”, which can and should be applied to farmed fish as they are being applied to terrestrial animal production. These are:
1. freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition
2. freedom from discomfort
3. freedom from pain, injury and disease
4. freedom to express normal behaviour, and
5. freedom from fear and distress.
Among the subjects which should be given priority in European research in the field of freshwater aquaculture are:
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Identification and documentation of indicators of discomfort and distress (or comfort/well-being) in freshwater species, including the correlation with stress hormones
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Effects of novel feed ingredients and diets (including fishmeal replacements) on health and well-being; establishment of scientifically justified guidelines or threshold values
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Causation and remedies for non-infectious diseases and disorders in particular those related to water use, novel feeds and certain management methods
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Neurological basis and functional research on pain perception in fish
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Reduction of transport distress, and humane stunning and slaughter of freshwater species in typical small- and medium scale operations
Tania Wolffrom graduated in 2000 as a biologist at the University of Konstanz (Germany) and has since then been working at VESO in Oslo (Norway). She has among other projects been involved in the organisation of the “3rd International Symposium on Fish Vaccinology” (Bergen), April 2003) and in a EU project on risks associated with trade and transfer of fish eggs and sperm.
Contact details: Tania Wollfrom tania.wolffrom@veso.no
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