Document type: scientific synthesis published in Frontiers in Animal Science
Authors: Papadaki K, Samaras A, Hoorweg FA, and Pavlidis M
Abstract in French (translation): Beyond the Reduction of Suffering: A Comparative Study of the Assessment of Positive Well-Being in Fish and Terrestrial Farm Animals
animal welfare -being is emerging as an increasingly important element of sustainable production systems, thereby pushing the boundaries of well-being assessment beyond the mere reduction of suffering to focus on the promotion of positive emotional states. This objective is based on the concept of quality of life, which balances animals’ positive and negative experiences—an approach grounded in the definition of well-being as the animal’s physical and mental state. This exploratory review examines current knowledge on indicators of positive well-being among different groups of farmed animals, with a particular emphasis on comparing terrestrial farming systems with aquaculture. The main differences between terrestrial and aquatic systems are discussed, including the variability of production environments, environmental complexity, species diversity, domestication, human-animal interactions, and the interpretation of emotional states. The literature review revealed a significantly increased scientific interest in positive welfare indicators over the past 25 years, for both terrestrial and aquatic species, although research remains heavily focused on terrestrial farming, with studies on fish being limited and fragmented across numerous species. Across taxonomic groups, similar behavioral, cognitive, and physiological indicators are commonly used, as are similar methods to improve posit animal welfare , which justifies the inclusion of sentient fish in this research. This review concludes that, although the results obtained in terrestrial animals provide a solid foundation, species-specific research conducted on a commercial scale is absolutely necessary in aquaculture to develop robust welfare standards and ensure positive animal welfare.
Preview: Positive animal welfare has emerged as an increasingly important component of sustainable production systems, shifting the focus of welfare assessment beyond the reduction of suffering toward the promotion of positive affective states. This goal is supported by the Quality of Life (QoL) concept, which balances positive and negative animal experiences, an approach built on the definition of welfare as the animal’s physical and mental state. This scoping review examines current knowledge on positive welfare indicators across farmed animal taxa, with particular emphasis on comparing terrestrial livestock systems and aquaculture. Key differences between terrestrial and aquatic systems are discussed, including variability of production environments, environmental complexity, species diversity, domestication, human–animal interactions and the interpretation of affective states. The literature survey revealed a substantial increase in scientific interest in positive welfare indicators over the past 25 years for terrestrial and aquatic species, although research remains heavily biased toward terrestrial livestock, with fish studies limited and fragmented across numerous species. Across taxa, similar behavioral, cognitive and physiological indicators are commonly used as well as similar ways to enhance positive animal welfare, supporting the inclusion of sentient fish in this research. The review concludes that while terrestrial findings provide a foundation, species-specific, commercial-scale research is critically needed in aquaculture to develop robust welfare standards and ensure a positive animal welfare.
