Hi again! I’m Arnan Hirunratanakorn, a University of Stirling MSc Sustainable Aquaculture student funded by Open Philanthropy. I have been in Thailand from June to August conducting my MSc project titled “Bridging Gaps in Aquaculture: A Field Study on Economics and Fish Welfare in Thai Markets.” As of August, I have completed data gathering from market stakeholders.
Arnan collecting data at a retail market
I spent considerable time designing and refining questionnaires for interviewing market personnel to ensure smooth interviews and comprehensive data collection. During this process, I encountered many unique situations and practices in the markets, each with its own management and fish-handling strategies. These discoveries have highlighted several practices that needed further investigation.
Following a series of preliminary interviews and questionnaire revisions, I began data collection at farms, retail markets, and distribution markets. The locations covered include:
Arnan at a cage farm
5 Pond Farms
1 Farm in Pathum Thani
2 Farms in Chachoengsao
2 Farms in Prachinburi
3 Cage Farms
1 Farm in Rayong
2 Farms in Nakhon Ratchasima
2 Distribution markets
Canal Four Fish Market, Pathum Thani
Bang Khla Fish Market, Chachoengsao
15 Retailers
2 Retailers in Pathum Thani
2 Retailers in Chachoengsao
5 Retailers in Samut Prakan
6 Retailers in Bangkok
During farm visits, I observed differences in species cultured and handling practices between pond and cage farms. Also different handling practices including type of fish food, feeding methods, harvesting methods and transportation methods. Notable findings include a polyculture farmer who mentioned that he preferred allowing fish to suffer and die from oxygen deprivation rather than paying the cost of aeration, as the cost outweighs the profit from selling live fish. This presents a fish welfare issue that needs addressing.
Live tilapia held at high stocking densities in aerated tanks
Red tilapia on market tray
In retail markets, I collected data from 15 retailers across 11 markets, focusing on those that sold live fish. Common holding practices included holding fish in dry trays or shallow water, both with and without oxygenation. Common stunning or killing methods are percussive stunning and asphyxia. I identified several welfare concerns:
Red Tilapia and Tilapia are often left to die by asphyxiation in dry trays or held in shallow, aerated water at high densities, preventing them from righting themselves.
Catfish are commonly stunned using percussive methods, but these are often ineffective, leaving the fish conscious during processing.
At the two distribution markets, I documented the transport of 13 trucks of fish in and 14 trucks out. Many welfare issues were observed, with practices varying depending on the vendor's strategy. Fish transported into the market were often in ice slurry or without water, and the condition of the fish ranged from live to moribund or dead. Those transported out were usually moribund or dead, with transport methods including ice slurry or plain fish. Key welfare concerns include:
Live fish being graded on dry floors and left in baskets for 30-60 minutes, leading to asphyxia.
Fish still alive after distribution are typically killed by asphyxiation, ice slurry, or compressive force during transport.
Market personnel sometimes spike hooks into live fish, causing them to bleed out, or walk on live fish piles, leading to injury.
Harvested fish transported by truck without water
Delivery of fish to distribution market
Sorting of fish into size grades
Tilapia graded into baskets
After weeks of data gathering and identifying welfare issues, I am now considering potential solutions that could be implemented to improve market practices without affecting their profitability. I will be analyzing the data in the coming weeks and will share more detailed findings and recommendations afterward. Please check back for updates.
Thank you for reading this far. I hope you found this overview informative and that it provided some insight into the current state of fish welfare in Thailand. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to contact me at arh00062@students.stir.ac.uk. A special thanks to Open Philanthropy for funding this project.