Dr Loh will be presenting the topic of fish welfare to 3rd year veterinary students today at Murdoch University.
One of the challenges when discussing fish welfare is that there are 3 main definitions about what constitutes good animal welfare.
The first is a ‘nature-based’ definition where it requires fish to feel good experiences and be free from negative experiences like fear and pain.
The second is a functions-based definition where it requires fish to be in good health, meaning they grow well, are free from disease, reproduces, etc.
Then there is the ‘nature-based’ definition where fish are to be able to lead a natural life and express the full range of behaviours as they do in the wild.
These definitions are not always congruent with each other… These will be explained in the lecture today.
