New blog post!

Whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) is a bottom-grazing species found in muddy substrates along the Pacific coast. Its fast growth rate, high tolerance to changing water conditions, and ability to thrive in high stocking densities make it a valuable species for aquaculture.

💡 However, despite its potential, certain farming conditions can still cause stress to these animals. Understanding and addressing these welfare concerns is essential for ethical shrimp farming.

> Interested in learning more about the main welfare challenges facing whiteleg shrimp? Check out our latest blog post on ConsCIÊNCIA Animal here.

> Also, explore its WelfareCheck profile on the fair-fish database here.

(posted on July 31, 2025)

New paper out!

🔬 New publication alert!

We’re proud to share that our student Sónia Marina António Soares, together with María J. Cabrera-Álvarez, Pablo Arechavala-Lopez, and Joao L. Saraiva from our team, has co-authored a new paper published in the journal Aquaculture. The study used an integrative approach to evaluate different stunning and slaughter methods in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), with a focus on animal welfare and meat quality.

Key findings include:
• Slaughter in ice-slurry without prior stunning results in poor fish welfare and reduced meat quality.
• Electrical stunning followed by ice-slurry did not significantly reduce stress responses.
• In contrast, anaesthesia and ikejime methods showed lower stress levels and better meat quality — indicating they may be more humane and effective alternatives.

> This research highlights how solid scientific knowledge can drive practical improvements in aquaculture practices and animal welfare.📄 Read the full article here.

(posted on July 29, 2025)

📢 Call for Abstracts – Deadline Extended to July 25!

We’re excited to announce that the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society has extended its deadline for abstract submissions to July 25, 2025. Whether you're a student, researcher, or professional in ethology, animal behaviour, or welfare — this is your chance to present your work and connect with peers in the field.

📍 Algarve University (Penha Campus), Faro – Portugal
 🗓️ October 30–31, 2025

> Submit your abstract here
> Registration is open here
> Presenting authors must register.

Organized by SPE - Sociedade Portuguesa de Etologia, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), and FishEthoGroup.

(posted on July 21, 2025)

Final call for abstract submission!

> Final call — only 2 days left to submit your abstract for the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society, taking place October 30–31, 2025, at Algarve University (Faro, Portugal).

We welcome abstracts for oral and poster presentations on animal behaviour and welfare, across aquatic and terrestrial species.

📅 Deadline: July 18
 📨 Submit here
 📝 Please note: presenting authors must be registered participants. Register here

The event is co-organized by the SPE - Sociedade Portuguesa de Etologia, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), and the FishEthoGroup.

> Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and share your research with the ethology community.
 

(posted on July 16, 2025)

New podcast episode in Portuguese!

> The Fish Mind is a programme of our podcast Fish Talk that is focused on the capacity of fishes to suffer, feel other affective states, and display great cognitive abilities. The idea is to present all this important information in an informal dialogue of a few minutes.

💡 Last week we released our second episode about positive affective states of fishes in Portuguese too. Did you know that, just like humans, fishes can be motivated to get what they want? And this kind of behaviour has been observed in different species and in response to various environmental resources. This podcast episode focuses on this topic and brings relevant scientific evidence about fish motivation responses.

> If you would like to listen to this new episode in Portuguese, please go to our Spotify page here or the podcast page on our website here. 

(posted on July 15, 2025)

New paper out!

> We’re proud to share a new publication from our team in Aquaculture Reports!

Our student Esther Hoyo Alvarez, together with Pablo Arechavala-Lopez and María J. Cabrera-Álvarez from our team, co-authored a study investigating how pre-slaughter conditions — including fasting, crowding, and seasonal temperature — influence cardiac stress responses in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

💡 Main insights:
✔️ Fasting may improve slaughter efficiency in warmer months
✔️ However, crowding under high temperatures raises welfare concerns
✔️ Minimizing crowding and adjusting fasting protocols according to the season can benefit both welfare and efficiency.

> We believe that solid scientific knowledge is key to driving practical improvements in fish welfare. If you are interested to read the full article, access it here.

(posted on July 9, 2025)

Fish Motivation and Welfare: What Science Is Revealing

Over the years, scientific research has shown that fish can experience not only pain and other negative states but also positive affective states.
One important indicator of this are behavioural indicators of motivation — when fish put in effort to access something they value, it suggests the presence of positive internal states.

✔️ This type of response has been observed across different species and in relation to various environmental resources. Considering fish motivation when designing environments or assessing welfare can lead to more ethical and enriched aquaculture practices.

Check out the full infographic here to learn more.

(posted on July 8, 2025)

> Announcing the Invited Speakers at the XXII SPE Congress!

We are excited to welcome three internationally renowned speakers to the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society, taking place this October in Faro.

🗓️ October 30–31, 2025
📍 Algarve University – Penha Campus

These research leaders will share diverse perspectives and groundbreaking work on animal behaviour and welfare — from evolutionary and ecological processes to applied approaches. This is a unique opportunity to connect with top minds in ethology, expand your network, and engage with current research in the field.

>> Full details here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

(posted on July 2, 2025)

New blog post!

>> Fish and Emotions: Time to Rethink Aquatic Welfare

💡 When we talk about animal welfare, we often focus on reducing negative states like pain and fear. But what about positive emotions? In the latest post from our "The Fish Mind" section on the ConsCIÊNCIA Animal blog, we explore a less discussed but essential topic: how fish experience not only suffering, but also positive affective states such as motivation responses.

🎓 Scientific evidence continues to grow: fish can feel pain, fear, anxiety — but also positive affective states. This changes how we think about their environments in captivity, care practices, and ethical treatment. Promoting positive welfare isn’t just a goal — it’s a responsibility grounded in science.

>>If you are interested, read our full post on the blog here.

(posted on June 30, 2025)

New Report: Humane Fish Slaughter Needs Urgent Attention

As aquaculture expands rapidly, so does the responsibility to ensure ethical practices — especially at slaughter.

🔬 A recent report we co-authored, "Blueprint for research to detect loss of consciousness and/or sensibility of fish at slaughter", highlights critical gaps in current methods.

Key findings:
• Methods like asphyxiation and live chilling cause prolonged suffering
• Electrical stunning shows promise, but fish often recover too quickly and we still don’t have enough data to prove it works reliably in large-scale farms
• Percussive stunning and destroying the central nervous system may be more effective, but lack validation at commercial scales
• There's an urgent need for validated, scalable, and humane alternatives

Species like gilthead seabream and European seabass have shown how neurological indicators are important to assess stunning efficacy.

>> The future of aquaculture depends on science-backed, ethical solutions. It's time for cross-sector collaboration to set humane standards. You can access the full report here.

(posted on June 25, 2025)

New podcast episode!

> The Fish Mind is a programme of our podcast Fish Talk that is focused on the capacity of fishes to suffer, feel other affective states, and display great cognitive abilities. The idea is to present all this important information in an informal dialogue of a few minutes.

💡 We have just released our second episode about positive affective states of fishes in this programme. Did you know that, just like humans, fishes can be motivated to get what they want? And this kind of behaviour has been observed in different species and in response to various environmental resources. This podcast episode focuses on this topic and brings relevant scientific evidence about fish motivation responses.

> If you would like to listen to this new episode, please go to our Spotify page here or to the podcast page on our website here.

(posted on June 23, 2025)

> Ethology in practice: “Measuring Animal Behaviour” advanced training course recap

💡 From June 10–12, 2025, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), in collaboration with FishEthoGroup Association (FEG) and Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), hosted an intensive, hands-on course on ethological methods and animal behavioural data analysis in Esporles, Mallorca.

Over three days, participants:
✔️ Studied the four levels of behavioural analysis (evolution, function, development, mechanisms)
✔️ Practiced ethogram development and data collection techniques
✔️ Applied their skills in a real-life setting at Palma Aquarium

This course combined theory and application, empowering attendees with tools for scientific research and animal behaviour studies. Thank you to everyone who made this course such a success!

(posted on June 16, 2025)

New paper out!

We believe that solid scientific knowledge is fundamental to practically improving the welfare of fish and other farmed aquatic animals. High-quality publications in this field are the cornerstone of achieving this goal.

Our team member Joao L. Saraiva co-authored a paper recently published in Scientific Reports journal. The authors used the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF) - a tool providing cumulative time in affective states of varying intensities as a standardized welfare impact measure - to quantify the impact of air asphyxia during fish slaughter, using rainbow trout as a case study. 

💡 The study shows that slaughtering fish by asphyxia can cause around 10 minutes of moderate to intense pain per trout. Electrical stunning could prevent up to 1,200 minutes of serious fish pain for every dollar invested—but results vary in practice. Percussive stunning works well, but it's still hard to put into action on a large scale. 

> If you are interested, access this new published paper here.

(posted on June 9, 2025)

Call for Registration & Abstracts is Open for SPE Congress!

 The 22nd Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society (SPE) is taking place on October 30–31, 2025, at the University of Algarve (Penha Campus), Faro, Portugal.

📝 Registration is now open here.

💡 We invite students, researchers, and professionals working in animal behaviour and welfare to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations. Submit here.

⚠️ Note: Presenting authors must be registered participants.

Organized by Sociedade Portuguesa de Etologia, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), and FishEthoGroup, the congress will cover a wide range of topics — from aquatic to terrestrial species, and from behaviour to welfare.

>> This is a unique opportunity to present your work, exchange ideas, and expand your network in a beautiful setting in southern Portugal. We hope to see you there!

(posted on June 5, 2025)

Ethology course soon!

> Ethology Course – Registration Open | June 10–12, 2025 | Mallorca, Spain

The FishEthoGroup, IMEDEA (CSIC/UIB), and CCMAR are offering a 3-day intensive course on animal behaviour for students in biology-related fields. The course combines theoretical and practical approaches, including hands-on fieldwork at Palma Aquarium.

📍 Location: IMEDEA – Esporles, Mallorca
 📅 Dates: June 10–12, 2025
 🎓 Open to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students in biology-related fields

New: Get 50% off the registration fee by enrolling before June 1st.

Key features:
> Expert instructors: Dr. Joao L. Saraiva, Dr. María J. Cabrera-Álvarez, Dr. Pablo Arechavala-Lopez
> Fee: €200 (includes lectures and field activities)
> 5 grants for IMEDEA students

Only 20 participants will be accepted (first come, first served)
📧 To register, email: mail@fishethogroup.net, including your full name, academic background, current role, institution, country, and whether you qualify for a grant.

> This is a great opportunity to develop applied skills in behavioural science!

(posted on May 28, 2025)