ABSTRACT
Sustainability regards the system as a whole, in a holistic manner, since several of its components are connected; affecting or impacting one part of the system will affect other components. From a social perspective, animal welfare and how producers and enterprises care for the animals they produce is highly relevant. During the beginning of aquaculture as an industry, the capacity of fish and shellfish to feel pain was in debate; even today, several industry stakeholders doubt it or consider it insignificant to production and producers. Just as happens in other animal production systems like poultry or cattle, the way in which we treat the animals for production will have a significant impact on how society reacts to the industry as a whole. Apart from the philosophical, moral, and ethical components of animal treatment, the effect of social acceptance is incredibly significant to the aquaculture industry and its sustainability. Thus, this chapter discusses the aspects of animal welfare that impact aquaculture production.
