New paper out!

> We’re proud to share a new publication from our team in Aquaculture Reports!

Our student Esther Hoyo Alvarez, together with Pablo Arechavala-Lopez and María J. Cabrera-Álvarez from our team, co-authored a study investigating how pre-slaughter conditions — including fasting, crowding, and seasonal temperature — influence cardiac stress responses in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

💡 Main insights:
✔️ Fasting may improve slaughter efficiency in warmer months
✔️ However, crowding under high temperatures raises welfare concerns
✔️ Minimizing crowding and adjusting fasting protocols according to the season can benefit both welfare and efficiency.

> We believe that solid scientific knowledge is key to driving practical improvements in fish welfare. If you are interested to read the full article, access it here.

(posted on July 9, 2025)

Fish Motivation and Welfare: What Science Is Revealing

Over the years, scientific research has shown that fish can experience not only pain and other negative states but also positive affective states.
One important indicator of this are behavioural indicators of motivation — when fish put in effort to access something they value, it suggests the presence of positive internal states.

✔️ This type of response has been observed across different species and in relation to various environmental resources. Considering fish motivation when designing environments or assessing welfare can lead to more ethical and enriched aquaculture practices.

Check out the full infographic here to learn more.

(posted on July 8, 2025)

> Announcing the Invited Speakers at the XXII SPE Congress!

We are excited to welcome three internationally renowned speakers to the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society, taking place this October in Faro.

🗓️ October 30–31, 2025
📍 Algarve University – Penha Campus

These research leaders will share diverse perspectives and groundbreaking work on animal behaviour and welfare — from evolutionary and ecological processes to applied approaches. This is a unique opportunity to connect with top minds in ethology, expand your network, and engage with current research in the field.

>> Full details here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

(posted on July 2, 2025)

New blog post!

>> Fish and Emotions: Time to Rethink Aquatic Welfare

💡 When we talk about animal welfare, we often focus on reducing negative states like pain and fear. But what about positive emotions? In the latest post from our "The Fish Mind" section on the ConsCIÊNCIA Animal blog, we explore a less discussed but essential topic: how fish experience not only suffering, but also positive affective states such as motivation responses.

🎓 Scientific evidence continues to grow: fish can feel pain, fear, anxiety — but also positive affective states. This changes how we think about their environments in captivity, care practices, and ethical treatment. Promoting positive welfare isn’t just a goal — it’s a responsibility grounded in science.

>>If you are interested, read our full post on the blog here.

(posted on June 30, 2025)

New Report: Humane Fish Slaughter Needs Urgent Attention

As aquaculture expands rapidly, so does the responsibility to ensure ethical practices — especially at slaughter.

🔬 A recent report we co-authored, "Blueprint for research to detect loss of consciousness and/or sensibility of fish at slaughter", highlights critical gaps in current methods.

Key findings:
• Methods like asphyxiation and live chilling cause prolonged suffering
• Electrical stunning shows promise, but fish often recover too quickly and we still don’t have enough data to prove it works reliably in large-scale farms
• Percussive stunning and destroying the central nervous system may be more effective, but lack validation at commercial scales
• There's an urgent need for validated, scalable, and humane alternatives

Species like gilthead seabream and European seabass have shown how neurological indicators are important to assess stunning efficacy.

>> The future of aquaculture depends on science-backed, ethical solutions. It's time for cross-sector collaboration to set humane standards. You can access the full report here.

(posted on June 25, 2025)

New podcast episode!

> The Fish Mind is a programme of our podcast Fish Talk that is focused on the capacity of fishes to suffer, feel other affective states, and display great cognitive abilities. The idea is to present all this important information in an informal dialogue of a few minutes.

💡 We have just released our second episode about positive affective states of fishes in this programme. Did you know that, just like humans, fishes can be motivated to get what they want? And this kind of behaviour has been observed in different species and in response to various environmental resources. This podcast episode focuses on this topic and brings relevant scientific evidence about fish motivation responses.

> If you would like to listen to this new episode, please go to our Spotify page here or to the podcast page on our website here.

(posted on June 23, 2025)

> Ethology in practice: “Measuring Animal Behaviour” advanced training course recap

💡 From June 10–12, 2025, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), in collaboration with FishEthoGroup Association (FEG) and Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), hosted an intensive, hands-on course on ethological methods and animal behavioural data analysis in Esporles, Mallorca.

Over three days, participants:
✔️ Studied the four levels of behavioural analysis (evolution, function, development, mechanisms)
✔️ Practiced ethogram development and data collection techniques
✔️ Applied their skills in a real-life setting at Palma Aquarium

This course combined theory and application, empowering attendees with tools for scientific research and animal behaviour studies. Thank you to everyone who made this course such a success!

(posted on June 16, 2025)

New paper out!

We believe that solid scientific knowledge is fundamental to practically improving the welfare of fish and other farmed aquatic animals. High-quality publications in this field are the cornerstone of achieving this goal.

Our team member Joao L. Saraiva co-authored a paper recently published in Scientific Reports journal. The authors used the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF) - a tool providing cumulative time in affective states of varying intensities as a standardized welfare impact measure - to quantify the impact of air asphyxia during fish slaughter, using rainbow trout as a case study. 

💡 The study shows that slaughtering fish by asphyxia can cause around 10 minutes of moderate to intense pain per trout. Electrical stunning could prevent up to 1,200 minutes of serious fish pain for every dollar invested—but results vary in practice. Percussive stunning works well, but it's still hard to put into action on a large scale. 

> If you are interested, access this new published paper here.

(posted on June 9, 2025)

Call for Registration & Abstracts is Open for SPE Congress!

 The 22nd Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society (SPE) is taking place on October 30–31, 2025, at the University of Algarve (Penha Campus), Faro, Portugal.

📝 Registration is now open here.

💡 We invite students, researchers, and professionals working in animal behaviour and welfare to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations. Submit here.

⚠️ Note: Presenting authors must be registered participants.

Organized by Sociedade Portuguesa de Etologia, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), and FishEthoGroup, the congress will cover a wide range of topics — from aquatic to terrestrial species, and from behaviour to welfare.

>> This is a unique opportunity to present your work, exchange ideas, and expand your network in a beautiful setting in southern Portugal. We hope to see you there!

(posted on June 5, 2025)

Ethology course soon!

> Ethology Course – Registration Open | June 10–12, 2025 | Mallorca, Spain

The FishEthoGroup, IMEDEA (CSIC/UIB), and CCMAR are offering a 3-day intensive course on animal behaviour for students in biology-related fields. The course combines theoretical and practical approaches, including hands-on fieldwork at Palma Aquarium.

📍 Location: IMEDEA – Esporles, Mallorca
 📅 Dates: June 10–12, 2025
 🎓 Open to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students in biology-related fields

New: Get 50% off the registration fee by enrolling before June 1st.

Key features:
> Expert instructors: Dr. Joao L. Saraiva, Dr. María J. Cabrera-Álvarez, Dr. Pablo Arechavala-Lopez
> Fee: €200 (includes lectures and field activities)
> 5 grants for IMEDEA students

Only 20 participants will be accepted (first come, first served)
📧 To register, email: mail@fishethogroup.net, including your full name, academic background, current role, institution, country, and whether you qualify for a grant.

> This is a great opportunity to develop applied skills in behavioural science!

(posted on May 28, 2025)

New blog post!

The Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) is a migratory species found in the temperate waters of the North Atlantic and parts of the Mediterranean Seas.

💡 It is one of the most important commercial fish species in the region - about 865,000 tonnes of this mackerel is caught annually, meaning nearly 2 billion individual fishes! It is mainly caught by purse seine fishing.

>> Would you like to know the main fish welfare concerns related to the capture of this mackerel by purse seining? Please, take a look at our new post about that at the blog ConsCIÊNCIA Animal here.

>> You may also access its WelfareCheck profile in the fair-fish database here.

(posted on May 26, 2025)

New podcast episode about a fished species!

Fair-fish database programme features short audio episodes from our Fish Talk podcast. These audios focus on species with profiles already published in the database of fair-fish. We aim to provide insights into natural needs, behaviours and farming conditions or welfare hazards in fisheries for fishes and other aquatic animals, all in just a few minutes.

💡 Yesterday, we launched our new episode focused on a fished species. It's about Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) caught using set net fishing—a profile now available in the fair-fish database's catch branch. Don't miss the chance to check it out!

> If you are interested, please go to our podcast page and listen to this new episode of the fair-fish database programme here.

(posted on May 20, 2025)

Ethology course soon!

>> Ethology Course – Registration Open
📅 June 10–12, 2025 | Esporles, Mallorca – Spain

>> This course begins in under a month. Register soon to guarantee your place!
📍 Hosted at IMEDEA - Institut Mediterrani d'estudis Avançats (CSIC/UIB), in collaboration with FishEthoGroup and Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)

This 3-day intensive course offers a practical, research-based approach to the study of animal behaviour. Participants will explore the four levels of behavioural analysis (evolution, function, development, mechanisms), construct ethograms, apply research tools, and conduct observational fieldwork at the Palma Aquarium.

👩‍🏫 Instructors: Dr. Joao L. Saraiva, Dr. María J. Cabrera-Álvarez, Dr. Pablo Arechavala-Lopez
🎓 Designed for undergraduate, MSc, and PhD students in life sciences
💶 Fee: €200 (includes lectures and fieldwork)
🎓 5 grants available for IMEDEA students
👥 Limited to 20 participants – early registration is recommended
📧 To register, email mail@fishethogroup.net with your:
- Full name
- Academic background
- Current position
- Institution
- Country
- Grant eligibility (if IMEDEA student)

(posted on May 19, 2025)

New paper out!

Our team member Caroline M. Maia co-authored a review paper recently published in Fishes Journal. This study highlights the most pressing welfare concerns and challenges in the ornamental fish trade and discusses potential strategies to mitigate its negative impacts on fish welfare. 

💡The authors explore key topics like legislation, gaps in proper information, the welfare of fish in their final destinations and initiatives aiming to improve fish welfare in this trade. They also promote a shift in terminology from 'ornamental fish' to 'pet fish'. It is a small change that reflects a bigger movement toward recognizing these animals as sentient beings.

> If you would like to access this new review paper, click here.

(posted on May 16, 2025)

New Paper Out!

> New paper published!

We believe that solid scientific knowledge is fundamental to practically improving the welfare of fish and other farmed aquatic animals. High-quality publications in this field are the cornerstone of achieving this goal.

💡 In this context, our team member Caroline M Maia co-authored a paper recently published in Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. This study examines the preference responses of Nile tilapia for artificial water hyacinth as a structural enrichment, under different stocking densities.

> The authors showed that Nile tilapia expressed a strong preference for this easy-to-build and inexpensive enrichment —especially when kept in crowded tanks. This finding highlights that such artificial structure may be a useful option to improve this fish welfare in farms.

> If you are interested, access this new published paper here.

(posted on May 5, 2025)