News

New paper out!

How do routine farming practices affect fish welfare? Improving fish quality of life in aquaculture requires going beyond observation — it demands continuous, high-resolution monitoring of how animals actually respond to farming conditions.

In our latest study with European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), we combined biologging (heart rate and acceleration) with machine learning to classify welfare states under real sea-cage conditions.

🔎 Key insights:
▪️Clear daily patterns linked to feeding routines
▪️More stress-related responses during weekdays, associated with human activity
▪️Higher heart rates and activity in summer conditions

💡 Take-home message: fish welfare is dynamically shaped by management practices, human presence, and environmental conditions. Moreover, by integrating biologging with machine learning, this study provides a scalable framework to support data-driven, welfare-oriented decision-making in aquaculture.

> Read more here.
 

(posted on 2026/04/17)

About us

FishEthoGroup is a team of motivated professionals focused on improving fish welfare based on their behaviours.
We develop scientific and applied actions to reach our goals by promoting research, helping to disseminate knowledge, giving consultancy, and training about fish welfare. 

Want to know more about us? See information below.


Who we are


Who we are

We are a non-profit association bridging the gaps between science and the stakeholders in the aquaculture sector: producers, certifiers, retailers, NGOs, policy makers and consumers. Our goal is to study and improve the welfare of farmed fishes and other aquatic animals by applying ethological scientific knowledge into best practices in fish farming.


What we stand for


What we stand for

Throughout the years, our team has been involved in many areas of the aquaculture sector, from scientific research to campaigning, from auditing to policy. We use that expertise to promote the welfare of fishes through many initiatives with our partners and collaborators.


What we do


What we do

We develop science-based solutions to assess and improve the welfare of captive and wild-caught fishes. In our approach, we apply a strong background in aquaculture and ethology to address the welfare of fishes. We use state-of-the-art knowledge on the behaviour of a species to understand how its welfare is affected under farming conditions and what we can do to promote it.


Need help?

If you are interested in scientific and technical expertise applied to welfare in fish farming, please contact us.

We develop custom-made welfare solutions for your initiatives, as consultancy in farms or other facilities, tailored courses, guidance, certification requirements or systems, specific research studies and welfare protocols (see What we do).

Questions? Suggestions? Drop us a line!
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