Ethics & Suffering - Introduction
Fish are receiving more recognition for the complex animals that they are, which is reflected in the dramatic increase in fish welfare related research and the introduction of legislation and guidelines to safeguard fish welfare. However, many fundamental questions remain unanswered such as:
- Why is fish welfare important?
- What constitutes good welfare for a farmed fish?
- Can fish suffer and should this influence the way that we treat them?
- What are the relative costs and benefits of taking interventions to safeguard fish welfare?
Some of these questions fall outside the comfort zones of most scientists working in the field of fish welfare (us included) who tend to be academics with backgrounds in biological sciences. This section of the website will briefly address some of these questions by covering some of the ethical considerations that should be made in regard to fish welfare and the capacity of fish to feel pain and suffer.