LotaWEL - welfare evaluation of Lota lota
We are developing a species-specific welfare protocol using burbot (Lota lota) as a case. Animal welfare is a growing social topic that also increasingly impacts commercial activities with production animals, including aquaculture. Through literature review and behavioral experiments, we search and validate existing welfare parameters specifically for this study species. After drafting this welfare protocol, it is then validated in both nurseries, and in Odisee's Aqua-ERF. The validation in the research center answers two targeted practical questions that came to the fore from the field.
Animal welfare is a growing social topic that also increasingly impacts commercial activities involving production animals. Animal welfare is also becoming more prominent in aquaculture, but there is some catching up to do. The variation in fish species and their ecological needs means that specific welfare protocols are needed. Two different spearheads of expertise are combined: aquaculture and animal welfare.
Burbot (Lota lota) is still relatively new in the field of aquaculture, but on the rise. The research conducted on this species is mainly situated in ecological studies, optimization of rearing conditions and growth of the juvenile fish. It is a species with a complex natural history, such as a nocturnal and benthic lifestyle. The burbot sector consists of several (small to medium-sized) fish farms scattered throughout Europe, centered in German-speaking areas. In Flanders, there is one fry producer (Aqualota) that supplies fry to all these different farms. In Flanders, there is a lot of interest in fish farming in recirculation systems. Relevant here is the interest of a large retailer to establish burbot farms in Flanders.
In this project, we want to develop a welfare protocol for burbot, based on modern insights from animal welfare science and reinforced by research results from behavioral experiments (phase 1). In phase 2 of the project, the established welfare protocol will be validated in practice at the level of farms, both in Flanders and abroad. Here, students will assist us in evaluating the welfare of the fish at the different farms. In a third phase of the project, two experiments will be conducted on Aqua-ERF to investigate two welfare-related practical questions.
Much importance is placed throughout the study on the practical applicability of the welfare evaluation protocol for fish farms, so that it responds to the demands of the industry and can be easily implemented, even with new fish species. From the beginning, the field has been closely involved through various feedback moments.
