Animal welfare: opportunities and challenges for aquaculture in Europe – The welfare of fish in the aquaculture industry is becoming a priority for European consumers. A recent study commissioned by the Center for Aquaculture Progress showed that the vast majority of consumers in Italy, Greece, Spain and France favour more humane practices in the slaughter of sea bream and sea bass. The survey, conducted with a sample of 1,600 participants, revealed that 83% of respondents favoured the use of pre-slaughter electrical stunning, underlining a growing desire to improve the treatment of fish throughout the supply chain.
This growing interest in animal welfare is also reflected in consumers’ willingness to pay more for a product slaughtered in a humane manner.
The study showed that 80% of buyers of sea bream and sea bass would be willing to spend EUR 0.05 more per 200 gram portion if a more ethical slaughter process was guaranteed.
Interestingly, Greece, Italy and France show similar percentages of willingness to pay more, while in Spain this willingness is slightly lower.
Despite this geographical variation, cross-sectional support for improved slaughter conditions was not affected by demographic differences. The results indicate that support for fish welfare practices is shared across all social groups, regardless of age, gender or income.
From an industry perspective, these data open a window of opportunity for sea bream and bass producers. In particular, Greek aquaculture could benefit from the adoption of electrical stunning technology, an investment that could meet consumer demand without a significant cost increase. According to estimates, the cost of implementing this technology would amount to only EUR 0.02 per fish, less than the EUR 0.05 that consumers would be willing to pay.
The adoption of fish welfare practices is not only an ethical improvement, but also a winning business strategy. Consumers are increasingly aware of the ethical implications of their purchases and are willing to reward companies that adopt sustainable and animal welfare practices. This trend, already established in other sectors, is now also finding fertile ground in the world of aquaculture.
The Center for Aquaculture Progress, a non-profit organisation, is working closely with the industry to accelerate the adoption of electrical stunning technology in sea bream and bass aquaculture. The aim is to modernise production processes, bringing them in line with consumer expectations and contributing to an overall improvement of the sector in Europe.
Animal welfare: opportunities and challenges for aquaculture in Europe
