Improving fish welfare in African aquaculture: Ethical Seafood Research

This blog post features one of GSA’s Small Business Members, Ethical Seafood Research. We thank Ethical Seafood Research for their support of the work GSA does to advance responsible seafood practices.

Across Africa’s booming aquaculture industry, a quiet transformation is underway. Ethical Seafood Research is pioneering scalable, science-based solutions to one of the most overlooked issues in the global food system: tilapia welfare.

Founded in 2021, Ethical Seafood Research has rapidly become a trusted force in the region, working closely with governments, universities and industry to embed animal welfare into the heart of fish farming operations. In Egypt alone, their work now touches more than 15% of the country’s aquaculture sector, positively impacting the welfare of more than 260 million fish in the first year of their Tilapia Welfare Egypt project’s operation.

“For many in Egypt, ESR is now synonymous with fish welfare,” said Wasseem Emam, ESR’s Founder, Director, and Head of Research.

Their flagship project, Tilapia Welfare Egypt, introduced the concept of fish welfare to a sector where it was previously absent. Through on-the-ground training, surveys and collaboration with key stakeholders like the Egyptian government’s Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, ESR and FAI helped mainstream the term “tilapia welfare.” Their rollout of FAI Farms’ Tilapia Welfare App and associated training enabled the assessment and improvement of on-farm welfare conditions at over 1,000 Egyptian farms. This, of course, could not have been achieved without the help of their close partners, Aquavet Egypt and Kafr El-Sheikh University.

The Tilapia Welfare App is also at the heart of ESR’s expanding work in Kenya, where it’s being delivered at the county level through the Government’s fisheries extension officers. By gamifying welfare assessments — rewarding the most active officers — ESR is driving adoption and enthusiasm. Early results are promising: in just a few months, welfare conditions have improved for at least 0.5 million fish.

Meanwhile, in Tanzania, ESR is shaping the future of aquaculture before it scales. Through the Tanganyika Blue venture, they are helping develop a model ethical farm using native species, helping to avoid the ecological issues seen with Nile tilapia elsewhere in Africa. In Zanzibar, they’ve successfully helped the government prioritise seaweed farming over finfish — establishing a national aquaculture strategy rooted in high welfare and sustainability.

Globally, ESR is just as active. As part of the World Federation for Animals, they advocate for aquatic animal welfare in negotiations at the UN level. They also engage in EU policy debates and industry reforms through their participation in the EU’s Aquaculture Advisory Council. Their upcoming report, Humane Fish Slaughter: Global Analysis & Investment Report, co-produced with the Global Research Network Think Tank and funded by the Jeremy Coller Foundation, will offer practical policy and investment recommendations for improving the slaughter of aquatic animals.

One standout initiative involves testing ice slurry stunning as a humane alternative to current harvest practices in Egypt’s semi-intensive farms. Paired with water quality monitoring and behavioural training, ESR aims to empower farmers with tools that are both welfare-friendly and economically viable.

“We believe ethical aquaculture can be the norm, not the exception,” Emam said.

From remote communities in western Tanzania to international policymaking arenas, ESR is uniquely positioned as the main nonprofit operating across much of Africa with the sole mission of improving farmed fish welfare. With a 2025 a team that has doubled in size over the last year, their momentum is growing — and so is their impact.

Thanks for being a member, Ethical Seafood Research!