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.  

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.