FAI partners with ESR, launches Tilapia Welfare Project in Egypt

FAI and Ethical Seafood Research partnership in Egypt, where fish welfare is ‘completely unheard of’

FAI and Ethical Seafood Research (ESR) have announced a new partnership to launch the Tilapia Welfare Project in Egypt, the world’s second-largest producer of the farmed, white-fleshed freshwater fish species.

“Research carried out last year revealed tilapia welfare is completely unheard of in Egypt and it’s important this changes,” said Wasseem Emam, founder, director and lead researcher at ESR, which works to improve the welfare of aquatic animals and supports responsible aquaculture practices worldwide. “We need to bring Egypt in line with other leading fish-producing countries and adhere to international standards if we are to secure new markets for Egyptian seafood.”

ESR and FAI aim to give farmers the tools and knowledge they need to assess and improve tilapia welfare and fish farm performance.

“To achieve the goals of FAI’s global Tilapia Welfare Project, we need to be working in countries where tilapia is being produced at scale,” said Øistein Thorsen, CEO at FAI. “We’re thrilled to be launching the project in Egypt, together with ESR. Together we will be driving improvements across major areas of the tilapia production cycle that can yield benefits to farmer profits and fish well-being in Egypt.”

ESR will integrate FAI’s Tilapia Welfare app to provide farmers in Egypt with a user-friendly platform to assess and manage the welfare of fish effectively.

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“ESR has always viewed farmed fish welfare as a crucial issue,” said Emam. “It’s also a no-brainer as it benefits both the fish and the farmers by reducing disease outbreaks, mortality and the use of veterinary medicines.”

The two organizations will deliver a series of workshops and online training to those working with Egyptian fish farmers to expand the project’s impact.

@GSA_Advocate