ABSTRACT
Global fish consumption has reached record levels, with the average person eating roughly 20 kg in 2014, an amount that has doubled since the 1960s and expected to rise further still (FAO, 2016). This demand is unsustainable and is having a heavy impact on ocean ecosystems, food security, and fish welfare. Ninety per cent of the world’s commercially exploited fish populations are now being fully or over-fished and scientists are warning that if fishing activity continues at these levels there will eventually be no fish left in our oceans. Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing animal production sector, overtaking wild fisheries as the main source of fish for human consumption. Generally, aquaculture operations are very intensive. Overcrowded fish are vulnerable to disease and experience stress, aggression and physical injuries such as fin damage. Like wild-caught fish, farmed fish are often killed with no respect to their welfare. Up to half of all the fish caught in the wild are ground up to create feed for farmed animals, including fish and shrimps At the same time, the evidence for fish sentience is growing, based on an accumulation of studies testing their brain structure, learning abilities and behaviour. Innovations in the aquaculture sector should be focused on improving fish welfare and limiting environmental impact, rather than looking only at ways to maximise production.
