Dr. Win Surachetpong and Simão visiting a red tilapia floating cage farm in Rayong

Dr. Win Surachetpong (Kasetsart University) invited Simão to visit a tilapia farm in Rayong province and a tilapia hatchery (Manit) in Phetchaburi province to look more closely at welfare issues.

Simão saw that good site selection for setting up floating cages for tilapia or any other fish farm is critical for the welfare of the animals. For example, it is important for the farmers to set up the cages in areas where there is acceptable levels of dissolved oxygen, which is one of the key welfare environmental indicators in aquaculture. Another interesting observation was to see how “human X animal” (e.g. Tilapia – farmer) interactions took place. Whenever farmers approached the cages, fish would swim towards them. From a welfare perspective, he thinks that exploring and better understanding this interaction might be another pathway for finding strategies to improve the welfare of the animals. However, it is important to highlight that human X animal interaction behaviours are species specific.

Red tilapia floating cage farm with a water pump station in the middle which is used to aerate water if dissolved oxygen is low.

Recently stocked cage with red tilapia juveniles. You can see the fish moving towards where people were.

Simão and farm staff observing red tilapia juveniles behaviour. You can see the fish moving towards where they were standing.

Farm staff sampling red tilapia adults for health and welfare assessment

Simão, farm staff and Dr. Win were assessing some of the red tilapia health and welfare status.

At the hatchery Simao discussed how fish domestication through selective breeding programmes has significantly improved the welfare of the farmed animal. For instance domestication has produced fish that are more resistant to handling, have lower stress levels and higher survival rates.