UNAIR NEWS A strategic step in strengthening the sustainable fisheries ecosystem was demonstrated by the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) 51动漫 (UNAIR). In collaboration with the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, and Politeknik AUP Jakarta, FPK successfully hosted an international workshop titled “Asian Fish Welfare Network Project-Improving Farmed Fish Welfare in Asia” on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the FPK Building, MERR-C Campus.
Centered on the core theme of Fish Welfare for Farmer Welfare, the event featured two speakers from the University of Stirling, Prof. Dave Little and Dr. Simao Zacarias. Both experts invited Indonesian researchers and aquaculture stakeholders to engage in collaborative efforts.
The one welfare approach
Dr. Zacarias discussed the concept of fish welfare, which remains an under-discussed topic in various academic discourses. Addressing this, Dr. Zacarias emphasized that animal welfare is essentially a science. 淭here are research publications demonstrating that fish possess the capacity for sentience, meaning they can feel pain and suffering, he explained.
Furthermore, he outlined that the assessment of fish welfare is based on four primary domains: nutrition, environment, health, and behavior. This welfare does not exist in isolation but is bound within the “One Welfare” approach. 淭he One Welfare approach looks at the interconnection between animal welfare, human welfare, such as farm staff and the environment , Dr. Zacarias added.
Full support for international research
Meanwhile, Prof. Little highlighted the greatest challenge in promoting fish welfare issues: human perceptual bias toward aquatic animals. 淲e are accustomed to recognizing pain in warm-blooded animals with large eyes, such as dogs, cats, or cows. However, for aquatic animals, many people perceive them as lower life forms that do not feel pain, Prof. Little noted. Consequently, participants agreed on using the more precise term “welfare.”
Exploring the history of the project, which is supported by an organization from the United States, Prof. Little explained that the first phase has been running successfully in Thailand and Vietnam since 2022. Entering its second phase, the project is expanding its network to Indonesia. 淲e are here because the population of farmed fish in Indonesia is far larger than in Thailand and Vietnam. Statistically, Indonesia is the second-largest aquaculture producer in the world after China, Prof. Little asserted.
This second-phase project is planned to run until July 2028. The primary focus is not only on improving welfare during the rearing stage but encompasses the entire value chain, ranging from facilities to markets that often house live fish.
淲e will fund innovative research projects. For international collaboration, funding schemes are available for 6 to 12 months with values reaching 拢75,000, Prof. Little revealed. Beyond research funding, the project also provides full Master of Science (MSc) scholarships at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling.
The meeting is expected to be a vital stepping stone for the aquaculture sector in Indonesia. The goal is to ensure the industry does not merely chase production targets but also pays significant attention to sustainability and global animal welfare standards.
Author: Muhammad Yasir Dharmawan D.
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
