By M. Toni
In recent years, teleost fish have been increasingly exploited as animal models for scientific research in both the biomedical and ecological fields by using various ‘omics’ approaches, as they offer several practical advantages compared with mammals or other vertebrates. Moreover, the number of fish raised in aquaculture farm is constantly increasing, as aquaculture is not only a massive industrial activity that integrates human diet with high-quality food, but it also helps in restocking fish populations for both commercial and conservation purposes. Consequently, ensuring fish welfare is important in both scientific research and aquaculture contexts. Despite some common elements, these two contexts differ at the level of the dimensional scale, objectives, husbandry conditions, species and number of captive fish maintained.
Dealing with animal health, it is important not to confuse the terms “welfare”, “wellness” and “stress”. A definition of welfare is not only based on physical health but also on the lack of mental suffering. Therefore, the concept of welfare is wider than the simple concept of wellness, which refers more to physical health and the avoidance of prolonged stress. Stress can be defined as a condition in which homeostasis, that is the dynamic balance of the animal organism, is disturbed by intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli, commonly called stressors. The stress response is an adaptive function and it does not necessarily signify suffering or poor welfare.
More information: http://blog.journals.cambridge.org/2018/12/19/fish-welfare-in-research-and-aquaculture/
