Animal category: Fish

Review highlighting the growing interest in positive animal welfare indicators, but noting a lack of research in aquaculture.

Publication by the Aquatic Life Institute of the 2026 edition of its benchmark report on the integration of animal welfare into global aquaculture certification programs. The benchmarking tool is intended to strengthen and embed requirements for the welfare of aquatic animals in certification standards and supply chains.

A standardized protocol proposing 33 operational indicators of the well-being of rainbow trout reared in seawater, with a four-level scoring system and visual references to facilitate their use in the field.

Survey carried out for the SCAR AH&W Group, identifying Member States'  top animal health and welfare research priorities for 2025–2026 . Among priorities identified are a “One Health” approach, disease prevention, welfare indicators, livestock systems, transport, aquaculture, genomic tools, and the impacts of climate change.

Review highlighting advances in fish welfare, particularly regarding the cognitive and emotional abilities of fish and the growing recognition of their sentience in research, fishing, and aquaculture.

Review of the limited number of studies on hearing in wild and farmed salmonids, with recommendations on steps towards ascertaining and mitigating the impact of the acoustic environment on the welfare of farmed salmonids.

A review summarizing current knowledge on environmental enrichment, a key strategy for improving the welfare of farmed fish. Its effectiveness depends on the specific context and requires a tailored approach.

Scientific summary highlighting the need to improve and harmonize fish welfare indicators in aquaculture research, taking into account species and life stages, in order to ensure animal protection, scientific quality, reliable results and reproducibility. The authors propose updated toolboxes of welfare indicators for five major species, incorporating euthanasia, sampling, data digitization, and European regulatory requirements into their review.

EFSA report providing an overview of farmed fish species and farming systems in the EU in order to anticipate future welfare requirements.

Scientific synthesis on environmental enrichment for captive fish. Enrichment enhances fish adaptability and welfare, but its development is hampered by methodological and conceptual limitations. The authors propose new theoretical and practical frameworks to strengthen scientific rigor and guide the design of multisensory enrichment, particularly biotic enrichment, in aquaculture.