On March 29, the Aquatic Animal Welfare Research and Practice Seminar was successfully held at the Hangzhou Zijin’gang International Hotel, attracting experts and scholars from China, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as well as representatives from leading local aquaculture enterprises. In total, over 170 in-person participants attended the event, while nearly 3,000 viewers joined the seminar via live broadcast.
The seminar was hosted by Zhejiang University and jointly organized by the university’s College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science and the Catch Welfare Platform, a project coordinated by Wageningen Livestock Research in the Netherlands. Co-hosts included several key national and institutional partners: the Key Laboratory of Facility Agricultural Equipment and Information Technology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), the Belt and Road International Factory Green Aquaculture Technology Innovation Institute of MARA, the Key Laboratory of Facility Fisheries of the Ministry of Education, the National Major Freshwater Fish Industry Technology System, the Aquaculture Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, and the Facility Equipment and Information Committee of the Zhejiang Aquaculture Society.
Centered on the theme “Strengthening Research and Application of Aquatic Animal Welfare to Promote Healthy and Sustainable Development of the Aquaculture Industry,” the seminar addressed four major topics:
● The latest domestic and international progress in aquatic animal welfare research and practice;
● Emerging technologies supporting animal welfare in aquaculture;
● Welfare considerations in breeding, farming, transportation, and catching processes;
● Strategic opportunities and challenges for advancing aquatic animal welfare.
The program featured nine expert presentations and two panel discussions, providing an international platform for academic exchange and practical collaboration.
One highlight of the event was the release ceremony for the new Chinese translation of the book Fish Welfare Science, marking an important step in promoting aquatic animal welfare research and education in China.
Conference venue
Group photo of the attending experts and representatives
Professor Ye Zhangying, Chair of the conference from Zhejiang University, presided over the opening session and delivered the welcoming remarks.
Academician Liu Shaojun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering delivered an online speech, emphasizing the importance of aquatic animal welfare and its role in promoting sustainable development in the aquaculture industry.
Professor Liu Ying, Dean of the College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science at Zhejiang University, extended a warm welcome on behalf of the college to all experts, scholars, and industry representatives attending the seminar.
Representing the international experts and scholars, Dr. Hans van de Vis, Senior Researcher at the Wageningen Livestock Research Institute (Netherlands), delivered an Opening Speech.
Professor Zhu Songming of Zhejiang University chaired the seminar.
Dr. Tore Kristiansen, Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, delivered a presentation titled “The Amazing World of Fish”.
Dr. Zhu Jian, Chief Scientist of the National Major Freshwater Fish Industry Technology System, delivered a presentation titled “Innovative Green and Healthy Aquaculture Technologies to Enhance Fish Welfare”.
Prof. Sonia Rey Planellas from the University of Stirling delivered a presentation titled “How Can Behavioral Research Improve Fish Welfare?”
Dr. Hans van de Vis, Senior Researcher at the Wageningen Livestock Research Institute, delivered a presentation titled “Risk Assessment of Fish Welfare Hazards and a Structured Approach to Assess Live Transport, and Stunning and Killing of Farmed Fish”.
Panel Discussion 1: How to Improve Aquatic Animal Welfare Through Technological Innovation
Professor Li Dapeng, Vice President of Huazhong Agricultural University, presented his research titled “The Impact of Farming Space and Stocking Density on Fish Welfare”.
Dr. Michael Breen, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, delivered a presentation titled “Catch Welfare Research in Norwegian Fisheries”.
Professor Huang Liuyi from the Ocean University of China delivered a presentation titled “Current Status of Fisheries in China and Progress in Research on the Welfare of Captured Fish”.
Professor Lynne Sneddon from the University of Gothenburg presented her research titled “Welfare of Crustaceans: Evidence of Pain”.
Dr. Maria Cabrera, Researcher at CCMAR (Centre of Marine Sciences, Portugal), presented her research “How Behavioural Studies can Improve Farmed Fish Welfare?”
Pandel Discussion 2: Practical Solutions, Opportunities, and Challenges in Transforming Welfare Research into Applications
The Chinese edition of The Welfare of Fish was officially released during the seminar.