Document type: technical report published by theEuropean Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Authors: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Aitana López Baquero, Claudia Millán Caravaca, Chiara Fabris, Yves Van der Stede, Denise Candiani
Preview: There is no specific EU legislation dedicated to fish welfare during farming, transport, or killing; however, fish are covered under the general provisions of Council Directive 98/58/EC (protection of animals kept for farming purposes) and Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 (on the protection of animals during transport and related operations) and No 1099/2009 (on the protection of animals at the time of killing). Significant advancements in fish farming practices in recent years have introduced new welfare concerns. In this context, and to prepare for potential mandates on fish welfare, EFSA conducted an information-gathering exercise on fish farming during the 25th meeting of the EFSA Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Network aimed at mapping current fish farming systems in the EU. A pre-meeting survey was circulated to network representatives, and most responded. The aggregated results were discussed during the meeting, together with clarification questions and a poll. Not all major EU-farmed fish species are produced in every country. Some species are widely distributed, such as brown trout (Salmo trutta), carp (Cyprinus carpio), European eel (Anguilla anguilla), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and salmon (Salmo salar). In contrast, species such as bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are only farmed in a few countries, while others are restricted to the Mediterranean areas, including seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and seabream (Sparus aurata). Common husbandry systems include Recirculating Aquaculture System, Flow-through System, freshwater ponds and net pens while almadraba traps and saltmarsh ponds are mainly used in Southern Europe. The links to all relevant national legislation or guidelines, as well as information on additional species and husbandry systems provided, were collected and are annexed to this report.
