In this “In Depth" we talk with Guiomar Rotllant and Paula Medina about the welfare of aquatic species and the need to train producers, educators, and the scientific community in this area.
The Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM) is leading an ambitious international initiative to transform the way aquatic species welfare is addressed in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). As part of the CEREBAL project, led by researcher Guiomar Rotllant, the ICM is coordinating a collaborative network for research, training, and action in cooperation with public authorities, universities, and aquaculture producers. The goal is to improve the living conditions of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods farmed in the region. This effort not only responds to growing ethical and scientific demands but also aligns with European Union import requirements for aquatic products. The aim is for all the information generated during the project to be made available and serve as a foundation for the Competent National Authorities (CNA) in LAC countries to collectively agree on animal welfare regulations in its aquaculture production.
Through workshops, technical guides, experimental protocols, and co-creation spaces, the ICM is promoting a structural shift in how marine animal protein is produced—strengthening local capacities and laying the groundwork for a future Reference Center on Aquatic Species Welfare for the LAC region. Today we speak with Guiomar Rotllant and Paula Medina, who lead this initiative, to understand the challenges, learnings, and future perspectives of this pioneering work.
1. What motivated the ICM to launch the CEREBAL project and focus on aquatic animal welfare in Latin America and the Caribbean?
It all began with a workshop on animal welfare in the aquaculture sector in Guatemala organized within the INTERCO1902 project led by Francesc Piferrer, where we identified a major gap: the lack of specialized trainers in aquatic species welfare. This led us to investigate how animal welfare is perceived in the sector and what the needs are among the various stakeholders in LAC aquaculture production.
After a meeting with Jesús Molina, director of the Training Center of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), we decided to apply for a new Intercoonecta project, which was approved and funded starting in 2024. CEREBAL aims to identify key problems related to aquatic animal welfare, propose solutions, prototype them, and evaluate their effectiveness in LAC. All of this is done using a user-centered design approach—in this case, the "users" being the aquatic species with the highest production or economic viability in the region.
2. What are the particularities of aquatic animal welfare, and how is this reflected in production systems?
While terrestrial animal welfare is defined as “the physical and mental state of the animal about the conditions in which it lives and dies,” there is still a lack of scientific evidence for aquatic species to establish specific regulations. However, it is already well-documented that many aquatic animals respond to stress. Therefore, it is essential to apply the four basic dimensions of welfare—good feeding, good housing, good health, and appropriate behavior—regardless of whether the animals are vertebrates or invertebrates.
In the end, implementing welfare measures not only fulfills an ethical imperative but can also significantly improve product quality. Unlike livestock farming, aquaculture and fishing involve a wide range of species and production systems, which presents a greater challenge. Even so, there are simple and low-cost measures that can already be applied with good results.
3. During the workshops, what training needs were identified as priorities among producers and local authorities?
Among producers, there was an urgent need for training in proper handling and treatment of animals, especially during critical processes where welfare may be compromised, such as transport, harvesting, and slaughter. For public authorities, we noticed a tendency to underestimate the importance of regulating aquatic species welfare. Many countries only have legislation covering terrestrial animals, or none at all. Finally, we identified local research-driven initiatives that need support and visibility to show that even small changes can transform an entire industry.
4. What role do cultural, economic, and environmental factors play in implementing welfare measures in aquaculture and fishing?
The LAC region is vast and diverse: 46 countries, 20 million square kilometers, and immense cultural, economic, and environmental variety. This diversity is also reflected in aquaculture, which includes both native and introduced species, and production systems ranging from rustic ponds to advanced technologies like recirculating systems.
In our last workshop, we decided to focus on local solutions to global problems and found that many improvements don’t require large investments, but rather simple and well-directed changes. From a regulatory standpoint, regional diversity makes it difficult to establish common criteria. However, precisely because there is still no specific legislation in most countries, this is an ideal moment to promote coordinated actions toward shared regulations, as proposed by the CEREBAL project.
5. How are countries in the region collaborating to ensure that these training efforts translate into effective public policies?
One of the main objectives of the CEREBAL project is the creation of a Reference Center for the Welfare of Aquatic Species in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This center will gather the main challenges faced by the sector, facilitate research, support the development of legislation, and promote best practices. On the project’s website, users can access a glossary of key animal welfare concepts, information on current legislation in LAC countries and the European Union, minutes from working group meetings, and soon, specific guidelines for fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
6. How important is a participatory and multidisciplinary approach in the development of guidelines and protocols?
Animal welfare is a multifaceted issue that impacts not only animals but also humans. It involves multiple stakeholders: producers, public administrations, scientists, and consumers. Each group has its own interests, but all must make evidence-based decisions, especially regarding sentience and animal-based welfare indicators.
Therefore, protocols and public policies must reflect a balanced vision—backed by science but aligned with social and economic interests.
7. Could you share some of the achievements reached so far through training activities?
So far, the main impact has been raising awareness about the urgent need for training in aquatic animal welfare in the region. This has motivated initiatives such as plans to train workers to become trainers within their own teams, the implementation of more humane practices that improve the welfare of both workers and animals, and the development of procedures to recognize and apply animal-based welfare indicators. Next year, we will implement these proposals through functional prototypes in companies that produce fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
8. From a research perspective, which species or farming stages present the greatest challenges?
One of the main challenges is defining animal-based welfare indicators that are specific to each life stage of aquatic species. While all stages are important, the most critical is harvest—the moment of the animal’s death. Additionally, aspects such as fasting time before slaughter, confinement conditions, biochemical stress indicators, and the effectiveness of stunning methods are crucial both for the animal’s welfare and for the final product quality.
In this regard, the ICM is leading pioneering research in collaboration with partners from the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare, UNAM (Mexico), and UBA (Argentina) on decapod crustacean sentience. Specifically, we are evaluating their response to anesthetics using techniques such as electroencephalograms, visual evoked potentials, and heart rate monitoring in species like lobsters and shrimp.
9. What synergies are being explored with the upcoming EU Reference Center for Animal Welfare in Aquatic Species?
The new European Union Reference Center shares similar goals with the CEREBAL project. We are working closely with the scientific team to lay the foundation for species-specific welfare guidelines. As of today, there are guides for species produced in Europe such as gilthead seabream, sea bass, and trout, which will serve as models for developing guidelines adapted to species produced in Latin America and the Caribbean.
10. What would you say to aquaculture producers who see animal welfare as a cost rather than an investment?
Animal welfare is not a luxury—it is a necessity. Welfare measures improve product quality in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional value. Although they involve an additional cost, this is offset by a more valuable product, including international markets that demand welfare standards. Moreover, proper staff training should not be seen as an expense but as an investment that benefits the worker, the producer, and, of course, the animal.
At ICM, we want to convey that it is possible to redesign aquaculture and fisheries toward a more humane and sustainable model, in line with the progress of the sector not only in Europe but also in Latin America and the Caribbean.