The team led by Professor Tran Minh Phu at Can Tho University, Vietnam also involving Charles Darwin University, Australia and the University of Stirling in the UK, summarise the findings of their recently concluded project “Perceptions of farmed fish welfare by different stakeholders: a focus on small-scale fish farms in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam”:
The team looked at snakehead farming as this has a production of over 100,000 tonnes per year from mainly small-scale farms and produced for domestic consumption. There was no known previous research concerning the knowledge, perceptions and management of welfare among farmers, traders and consumers of this species.
Video summary of the project
The team interviewed a total of 90 snakehead farmers from Tra Vinh, An Giang, and Dong Thap provinces in the Mekong Delta, and separate questionnaires were designed for interviews with seven fish traders and 19 retailers to assess their practices regarding harvest, transportation, holding conditions, and their attitudes toward fish welfare. Interviews were also conducted with 99 snakehead consumers to gain insights into their views on fish handling, processing, and welfare.
Snakehead fingerling behaviour being observed at a feed station
Farmers showed they had significant empathy with the fish and observed their behaviour to guide husbandry practices. They mostly agreed that fish are capable of consciously experiencing pain and negative emotions and believed improving fish welfare results in better products. Transporters appeared to show less concern about fish stress and were mostly concerned about avoiding substantial mortalities. A lack of awareness of fish welfare and best practices was most evident amongst retailers where fish were either already dead or were being killed for sale to consumers.
Snakehead on ice at a retail outlet
In contrast to retailers, the consumer survey showed that 80% had heard of, or were somewhat familiar with the concept of fish welfare and a majority believed fish could experience pain and negative emotions or feelings.
As part of the project, a workshop was held at Can Tho University involving farmers, researchers and other stakeholders to share insights and develop strategies for improved practices. A detailed report has been drafted and an academic publication is under preparation.
Participants at the workshop in Can Tho