In May 2025, the Chinese translation of the book, The Welfare of Fish, was officially published!
Main translators: Ye Zhangyin, Li Xian, Zhao Jian
Editors: Tore S. Kristiansen, Anders Fernö, Michail A. Pavlidis, Hans van de Vis
The book offers a multidimensional and in-depth exploration centered on fish, focusing not only on issues of fish welfare and how humans should interact with fish, but also guiding readers into the living world fish inhabit. Through rich and systematic content, it presents the fundamental characteristics of fish — including who they are, their living environments, lifestyles, physiological mechanisms, and cognitive capacities, as well as how they behave and respond within social and physical environments. The book also delves into the structure of the fish brain, incorporating new knowledge and theories from the field of neurobiology to provide readers with fresh scientific perspectives and hypotheses about fish cognition.
Building on this foundation, the authors further analyze how fish experience their own existence, revealing their remarkable perceptual abilities and survival skills, while uncovering the multifaceted impacts of human activities on their quality of life. Centered on the core concept of “fish welfare,” the book examines the scientific basis for including fish within the scope of moral consideration and discusses how these scientific insights may influence and transform the ways humans treat fish in the future.
From a practical standpoint, although many countries have already extended animal welfare legislation to protect fish alongside mammals, a significant gap remains between human moral recognition and actual treatment of these two groups of animals. Whether assessed by the number of individuals affected or by the severity of welfare issues, the mistreatment of fish represents one of the most pressing animal welfare challenges in today’s aquaculture and fisheries sectors.
With its interdisciplinary approach, this thought-provoking and insightful work appeals not only to professionals, scholars, and students in the fields of animal welfare, cognitive science, and physiology, but also to practitioners and learners in fisheries and aquaculture management. It provides readers across disciplines with a comprehensive understanding of fish and their welfare, encouraging deeper reflection on humanity’s relationship with aquatic life.