Welfare and Stressors in Fish: Challenges Facing Aquaculture

Welfare and Stressors in Fish: Challenges Facing Aquaculture PDF

Author: Leonardo Julián Magnoni

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2020-03-26

Total Pages: 199

ISBN-13: 2889636259

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Consumers, producers, stakeholders, governmental regulatory agencies and NGOs are becoming increasingly concerned with the conditions in which aquatic organisms are reared worldwide. High demand for fish for human consumption represents a challenge that has to be fulfilled by an ever-growing aquaculture production. In this scenario, animal care over the entire life and production cycle must be guaranteed while avoiding significant economic losses. As a result, research is needed to maximize yields and minimize adverse outcomes by optimizing rearing conditions while keeping in mind the welfare of cultured fish. In this Research Topic we will focus on relevant aspects related to fish response to both biotic and abiotic stressors as a means of improving their welfare, integrating both physiological and behavioral responses. In fish the adaptive responses to rearing may differ depending on several factors, including the characteristics of the stimuli and the intrinsic properties of the species or the selected line. If complete adaptation is missing, the application of single or multiple stimuli may result in a stress response. Stress responses have been linked to systemic adjustments which negatively impacts the immune system of fish, as well as their growth and reproductive performance. Therefore, one of the main interests of this Topic is to understand the allostatic responses of aquatic organisms to several stimuli/ factors that may be present during rearing. An additional focus of this Topic will be on conditions that may improve fish welfare by decreasing the stress response, such as implementing adequate swimming conditions. The focus of the Topic is to contribute to our present knowledge to better understand the physiological response of aquatic organisms, which is central to improving aquaculture practices. Emphasis will be placed on potentially existing interactions between physiological and endocrine pathways to build an overall stress response. Another aspect that will be considered in this Topic is how intraspecific variability may affect the stress response.

Fish Welfare

Fish Welfare PDF

Author: Edward J. Branson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-04-30

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 0470698047

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Fish have the same stress response and powers of nociception as mammals. Their behavioural responses to a variety of situations suggest a considerable ability for higher level neural processing – a level of consciousness equivalent perhaps to that attributed to mammals. Each chapter of this book has been written by specialists in their field. The subject matter is wide ranging and covers in detail concepts of animal welfare in addition to more specific aspects of fish welfare. Philosophical concepts of welfare are discussed along with more practical areas of fish welfare encompassing all husbandry and management activities that have a potential to affect the welfare of the fish in our care. This book is an essential purchase for fish veterinarians, fish farmers, fish biologists and those involved in the aquaculture industry and its regulation.

The Welfare of Fish

The Welfare of Fish PDF

Author: Tore S. Kristiansen

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-07-01

Total Pages: 518

ISBN-13: 3030416755

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This book investigates how fish experience their lives, their amazing senses and abilities, and how human actions impact their quality of life. The authors examine the concept of fish welfare and the scientific knowledge behind the inclusion of fish within the moral circle, and how this knowledge can change the way we treat fish in the future. In many countries fish are already protected by animal welfare legislation in the same way as mammals, but in practice there is still a major gap between how we ethically view these groups and how we actually treat them. The poor treatment of fish represents a massive animal welfare problem in aquaculture and fisheries, both in terms of the number of animals affected and the severity of the welfare issues. Thanks to its interdisciplinary scope, this thought-provoking book appeals to professionals, academics and students in the fields of animal welfare, cognition and physiology, as well as fisheries and aquaculture management.

Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes

Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes PDF

Author: Pablo Arechavala-Lopez

Publisher: MDPI

Published: 2019-11-18

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 3039217100

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Welfare is a multidimensional concept that can be described as the state of an animal as it copes with the environment. Captive environments can impact farmed animals at different levels, especially fishes, considering their highly complex sensory world. Understanding the ethology of a species is therefore essential to address fish welfare, and the interpretation of behavioral responses in specific rearing contexts (aquaculture or experimental contexts) demands knowledge of their underlying physiological, developmental, functional, and evolutionary mechanisms. In natural environments, the stress response has evolved to help animals survive challenging conditions. However, animals are adapted to deal with natural stressors, while anthropogenic stimuli may represent stressors that fishes are unable to cope with. Under such circumstances, stress responses may be maladaptive and cause severe damage to the animal. As welfare in captivity is affected in multiple dimensions, multiple possible indicators can be used to assess the welfare state of individuals. In the past, research on welfare has been largely focusing on health indicators and predominantly based on physiological stress. Ethological indicators, however, also integrate the mental perspective of the individual and have been gradually assuming an important role in welfare research: behavioral responses to stressors are an early response to adverse conditions, easily observable, and demonstrative of emotional states. Many behavioral indicators can be used as non-invasive measurements of welfare in practical contexts such as aquaculture and experimentation. Presently, research in fish welfare is growing in importance and interest because of the growing economic importance of fish farming, the comparative biology opportunities that experimental fishes provide, and the increasing public sensitivity to welfare issues.

Welfare of fishes in aquaculture

Welfare of fishes in aquaculture PDF

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2019-08-06

Total Pages: 18

ISBN-13: 9251316910

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The welfare of fish in aquaculture is of increasing public concern in Europe and thus of growing importance for fish farmers. Although the topic can be regarded as controversial, due in particular to the lack of available knowledge, there is nevertheless an urgent need for fish farmers, authorities and scientists to develop criteria, approaches and practices to monitor and safeguard the welfare of cultured fish. The objective of this document is to provide the opinion of EIFAAC Member institutions– as the reference body in the field of inland fisheries and aquaculture – on how, given the current state of scientific knowledge, fish welfare issues can be integrated into best practice guidelines for fish culture. This report deals with the welfare of farmed finfish and neither addresses capture fisheries, be they commercial or recreational, nor welfare issues related to the culture of crustaceans and molluscs. The report focuses on the welfare issues of on-growing fish while giving little to no attention to larvae/fry and broodstock. Likewise, the report focuses primarily on the culture conditions for farming of fish and gives little attention to welfare aspects related to transport and slaughter. Finally, emphasis is given to the culture of freshwater fish, but marine species are included where appropriate. It is understood that the principal welfare issues are comparable for freshwater and marine fish culture.

Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes

Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes PDF

Author: Pablo Arechavala-Lopez

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9783039217113

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Welfare is a multidimensional concept that can be described as the state of an animal as it copes with the environment. Captive environments can impact farmed animals at different levels, especially fishes, considering their highly complex sensory world. Understanding the ethology of a species is therefore essential to address fish welfare, and the interpretation of behavioral responses in specific rearing contexts (aquaculture or experimental contexts) demands knowledge of their underlying physiological, developmental, functional, and evolutionary mechanisms. In natural environments, the stress response has evolved to help animals survive challenging conditions. However, animals are adapted to deal with natural stressors, while anthropogenic stimuli may represent stressors that fishes are unable to cope with. Under such circumstances, stress responses may be maladaptive and cause severe damage to the animal. As welfare in captivity is affected in multiple dimensions, multiple possible indicators can be used to assess the welfare state of individuals. In the past, research on welfare has been largely focusing on health indicators and predominantly based on physiological stress. Ethological indicators, however, also integrate the mental perspective of the individual and have been gradually assuming an important role in welfare research: behavioral responses to stressors are an early response to adverse conditions, easily observable, and demonstrative of emotional states. Many behavioral indicators can be used as non-invasive measurements of welfare in practical contexts such as aquaculture and experimentation. Presently, research in fish welfare is growing in importance and interest because of the growing economic importance of fish farming, the comparative biology opportunities that experimental fishes provide, and the increasing public sensitivity to welfare issues.

Epigenetics in Aquaculture

Epigenetics in Aquaculture PDF

Author: Francesc Piferrer

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2023-10-02

Total Pages: 549

ISBN-13: 1119821916

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EPIGENETICS IN AQUACULTURE This essential guide will allow you to understand how new developments in our knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms and epigenetic inheritance can be applied to improve aquaculture production and aquatic resource management and conservation. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that are independent of alterations in the nucleotide sequence. It integrates genomic and environmental influences to shape the phenotype. Epigenetics is a field with particular relevance to aquaculture and aquatic organisms, since it underpins acclimatory responses to diverse and changing environments and inheritance of desired phenotypes. Epigenetics in Aquaculture provides a comprehensive introduction to epigenetics, epigenetic mechanisms, epigenetic inheritance, and research methods. It also provides the current state of the art on research and development on epigenetics in the major functions of aquatic organisms in the framework of aquaculture production. The fact that aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector of food production makes the book especially timely. Readers will also find: Detailed treatment of subjects including aquatic faunal reproduction, sex determination, growth regulation, nutritional programming, disease resistance, stress response and much more Survey of current research lacunae and the projected future of the discipline An authorial team of internationally renowned experts Epigenetics in Aquaculture is a valuable reference for researchers, biologists and advanced students in any area of marine science, oceanography, aquaculture, environmental science, and food production.

Biology of Stress in Fish

Biology of Stress in Fish PDF

Author: Carl B. Schreck

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 604

ISBN-13: 0128027371

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Biology of Stress in Fish: Fish Physiology provides a general understanding on the topic of stress biology, including most of the recent advances in the field. The book starts with a general discussion of stress, providing answers to issues such as its definition, the nature of the physiological stress response, and the factors that affect the stress response. It also considers the biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in the stress response, how the stress response is generated and controlled, its effect on physiological and organismic function and performance, and applied assessment of stress, animal welfare, and stress as related to model species. Provides the definitive reference on stress in fish as written by world-renowned experts in the field Includes the most recent advances and up-to-date thinking about the causes of stress in fish, their implications, and how to minimize the negative effects Considers the biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in the stress response

Emerging Sustainable Aquaculture Innovations in Africa

Emerging Sustainable Aquaculture Innovations in Africa PDF

Author: Ndakalimwe Naftal Gabriel

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-05-11

Total Pages: 545

ISBN-13: 9811974519

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This edited book presents the emerging sustainable innovations in all areas of aquaculture in Africa with a view to create an opportunity whereby scientific outputs and recommendations can be endorsed for improved aquaculture outputs towards poverty alleviation and food security on the continent. Food insecurity and poverty are some of the challenges faced on the African continent. These challenges are further exacerbated by the growing human population and the impacts of climate change. Today, aquaculture has become one of the fastest food producing sectors in the world, with the potential to contribute significantly to food security and poverty alleviation in developing countries. In Africa, aquaculture is at an infant stage, however, many African countries have recognized the potential roles of aquaculture in food security, poverty alleviation and conservation of aquatic resources through their commitment to achieve the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. The book reviews and synthesize research work from these thematic areas across Africa and provide a unique perspective on the emerging aquaculture innovations and illustrate how aquaculture practices could be feasible and cost effective while promoting social and environmental sustainability. The book also draws from global discussions on sustainable aquaculture practices and provides recommendations on what is feasible for Africa. This book is a great tool for the university students, scholars, aquaculture farmers, investors, and policymakers to understand the scientific based sustainable aquaculture innovations from an African perspective. This book is focused on SDG 2 and SDG 14.

Aquaculture and Behavior

Aquaculture and Behavior PDF

Author: Felicity Huntingford

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-02-13

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 140513089X

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Modern aquaculture is faced with a number of challenges, including public concern about environmental impacts and the welfare of farmed fish. A fundamental understanding of fish biology is central to finding ways to meet these challenges and is also essential for maintaining the industry's sustainability. Furthermore, the behaviour of fish under culture situations has long been ignored despite heavy commercial losses that can result from fish stressed and hence disease-prone, due to bad husbandry techniques. This important book summarises the current understanding of the behavioural biology of farmed species and illustrates how this can be applied to improve aquaculture practice. Informative and engaging, Aquaculture & Behavior brings the reader up-to-date with major issues pertaining to aquaculture. Everyone from fish farmers to upper level students will find this book a valuable and practical resource. Libraries in universities and research establishments where animal behavior, aquaculture, veterinary and biological sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this work on their shelves.