News
About the last congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society
> We were delighted to take part in the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society, held in Faro, Portugal!
The event brought together researchers, students and professionals to share the latest advances in animal behaviour, cognition and welfare. Our team participated in the event’s organization and contributed with oral and poster presentations, engaging with colleagues from across Portugal and beyond.
💡Highlights included thought-provoking keynotes by Melissa Bateson, Sandra Trigo and José Ricardo Paula, engaging workshops, and awards recognising the best oral and poster presentations.
> Congratulations to the organisers, speakers and participants for a truly inspiring and successful congress! 👏
(posted on Nov. 3, 2025)
> New Fish Talk podcast episode is now available!
As part of our scientific dissemination activities, the FishEthoGroup develops the podcast Fish Talk — and its programme The Fish Mind, dedicated to sharing scientific knowledge about the affective states and cognitive capacities of fishes and other aquatic species.
💡In our third episode, we explore positive affective states in fishes by discussing how environmental enrichment can enhance their behaviour and welfare. Did you know that fishes can enjoy a more stimulating environment, much like we do? Evidence shows that simple changes can greatly improve their quality of life.
> Listen now on Spotify here or our website here.
(posted on Oct. 29, 2025)
Milkfish (Chanos chanos)
Milkfish (Chanos chanos) inhabits waters just above the bottom along continental shelves in the Indo-Pacific region. It naturally forms schools and migrates between oceanic waters, estuaries, and mangroves. This fish has been a key aquaculture species for centuries in Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
💡Although resilient, Milkfish can become highly stressed by routine farming practices. Understanding these welfare concerns is crucial for improving farming practices for this species.
> Read more in our latest blog post at ConsCIÊNCIA Animal here.
> Access its WelfareCheck profile in the fair-fish database here.
(posted on Oct. 27, 2025)
🚨 New publication alert!
Ensuring humane slaughter in aquaculture requires reliable ways to assess fish insensibility — but what if the indicators we usually rely on don’t truly reflect what’s happening in the brain?
In the recent paper, “Stunning challenges: Operational indicators flag failures, but neurological validation is needed to confirm stunning effectiveness in seabass and seabream”, we helped to compare operational indicators (e.g., loss of equilibrium, eye-roll, ventilation reflex) with neurological benchmarks in seabass and seabream.
Our findings show that:
🔹 Operational indicators often misalign with neurophysiological responses.
🔹 Ventilation reflex was the best proxy for sensibility across species.
🔹 Electrical stunning can cause only short-term unconsciousness, posing welfare risks.
🔹 Species-specific validation is crucial before methods are considered humane.
These results highlight the urgent need to integrate neuroscience into welfare assessments for aquaculture species.
> Access the full paper here.
(posted on Oct. 24, 2025)
Master's dissertation defence!
> Gilthead seabreams can learn — and their environment makes all the difference.
On October 13, Inês Neves, Master’s student in Aquaculture at the University of Algarve, defended her dissertation on the cognitive abilities of gilthead seabream, under the supervision of María J. Cabrera-Álvarez and João L. Saraiva from our team, earning an excellent grade.
💡 Her findings reveal that fish raised in enriched tanks — with plants or other structures — learn significantly better than those raised in barren environments, like the ones often found in production settings.
> This study provides valuable evidence on the role of environmental enrichment in shaping fish cognition and welfare, pointing to simple ways to improve captive conditions.
Congratulations, Inês, on this meaningful contribution to fish welfare science!
(posted on Oct. 20, 2025)
Invited speakers - SPE Congress!
> Meet the Minds Shaping Ethology Today — and Don’t Miss Your Chance to Join Us!
The XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society is almost here! There are only 2 days left to register — the deadline is October 15.
This year’s congress will feature three outstanding invited speakers, internationally respected experts whose research is transforming how we understand animal behaviour.
📅 October 30–31, 2025
📍 Algarve University – Penha Campus, Faro
They’ll bring cutting-edge science, new perspectives, and inspiring insights into the complex world of behaviour.
> See the full programme here.
> If you are interested, register now here.
(posted on Oct. 13, 2025)
> Workshop Announcement – Star-Oddi
Want to gain hands-on experience with high-performance mini data loggers and sensors for aquatic and wildlife research? Join our Star-Oddi workshop, an optional activity of the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society!
Participants will learn how to monitor animal behaviour and environmental parameters using cutting-edge tools.
▪️ Date: October 29
▪️ Time: 14:00 – 17:00
▪️ Price: Free
▪️ Expert: Ásgeir Bjarnason
▪️ Limited to 20 participants – registration required: access here
> Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your skills in wildlife and aquatic research!
(posted on Oct. 6, 2025)
Presentations at European Aquaculture Society Conference!
Disseminating science-based knowledge is central to our mission to improve the welfare of farmed fishes and other aquatic animals in practical ways. Presenting at scientific and industry events is an essential part of this effort.
As part of this mission, our student Esther Hoyo-Alvarez and our team member Joao L. Saraiva presented at the European Aquaculture Society Annual Conference in Valencia, Spain.
✔️João presented on the effects of stunning and slaughter methods on welfare indicators and product quality of gilthead seabream.
✔️Esther presented on behavioural and cardiac responses of European seabass in sea-cages, along with a poster on cardiac responses, activity, and oxygen consumption of this species under stress challenges.
Congratulations to Esther for receiving the Best Student Poster Award!
📸 Photo credit: Pablo Arechavala-Lopez
(posted on Oct. 2, 2025)
New blog post!
The European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is one of the most commercially valuable species in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean.
> It is estimated that 70 to 560 million individuals are captured every year—raising important questions about welfare impacts in gillnet fisheries, the most common fishing method used to catch this species.
🔎 Read our new blog post at ConsCIÊNCIA Animal to know more here.
📊 You can also explore its WelfareCheck profile in the fair-fish database of here.
(posted on Sept. 30, 2025)
> Workshop Opportunity – Birding & Bird Identification
As part of the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society, we invite you to join an exclusive birdwatching workshop at the Ria Formosa Natural Park, guided by João Tiago Tavares – ornithologist, biologist, and illustrator.
▪️November 1 (weather permitting)
▪️8:30 am – 12:00 pm
▪️20€ per participant (to be paid on site)
▪️Limited to 10 participants – registration required
> Participants will learn how to observe and identify the rich avifauna of this unique lagoon ecosystem. A perfect opportunity for networking, nature appreciation, and new field skills.
(posted on Sept. 29, 2025)
> New podcast episode!
The fair-fish database programme—part of our Fish Talk podcast—usually features short audios based on species profiles from the database of fair-fish (english), exploring their natural needs, behaviours, and welfare challenges in farming and fisheries.
💡Last week, we introduced something new: podcast episodes based on fishing method profiles. This new resource in the catch branch of the fair-fish database looks at how different fishing methods impact fish welfare as a whole.
> Our first podcast episode in this series highlights the effects of purse seine fishing on small pelagic species.
> Listen to the full episode here.
(posted on Sept. 23, 2025)
> Accommodation Partnerships for the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society
Join us on October 30–31, 2025, at the Algarve University, Penha Campus (Faro, Portugal) for two inspiring days of:
✔️Cutting-edge research
✔️Plenary talks & oral presentations
✔️Poster exhibitions
✔️Networking & knowledge exchange
Participants will also benefit from special accommodation discounts thanks to our local partnerships:
▪️Faro Boutique Hotel – 3-star hotel
▪️Hostellicious – modern hostel
▪️Ti Maria Guest House – charming hostel
> Interested, but still not registered? Please, do it here.
(posted on Sept. 22, 2025)
>> New conference report published!
Aquatic animal welfare is increasingly recognized worldwide as essential for responsible fish production.
Our team member María J. Cabrera-Álvarez co-authored a new conference report summarizing the outcomes of The Aquatic Animal Welfare Research and Practice Seminar, held in Hangzhou, China, 28–29 March 2025.
💡The seminar gathered leading scientists and industry stakeholders to discuss recent research, innovations, and future directions in aquatic animal welfare. The report provides a concise overview of presentations and discussions, helping advance research and its practical application in the fish industry.
> If you are interested, access the full report here.
https://lnkd.in/dnptvyWN
(posted on Sept. 17, 2025)
Keynote speaker!
> We are proud to announce Professor Melissa Bateson (Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, UK) as a keynote speaker at the XXII Congress of the Portuguese Ethological Society.
💡 Professor Bateson is a leading ethologist and President of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Her research focuses on how stress and early-life experiences influence cognition, behaviour, and health in both humans and animals. She is also co-author of Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide.
> Her keynote will provide valuable insights into the effects of stress across species, contributing to our understanding of behaviour, health, and welfare.
🗓️ October 30–31, 2025
📍 Algarve University – Penha Campus, Faro, Portugal
🎓 Organized by SPE - Sociedade Portuguesa de Etologia, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), and FishEthoGroup
> Register here
(posted on Sept. 10, 2025)
Great achievement!
>> We’re proud to be featured in Expresso, one of Portugal’s most respected newspapers.
💡 Media coverage like this is essential to give visibility to our work on the behaviour and welfare of fishes and other aquatic animals — both farmed and caught in the wild. Every mention helps move this agenda forward.
>If you are interested, access the news here and here.
(posted on Sept. 8, 2025)
