Swansea students win prestigious fish welfare award sponsored by RSPCA Assured

Talented Marine Biology students, Alex Picken and Synne Klute, at Swansea University were awarded top prizes for their research projects on positive measures of welfare in Manyara tilapia (First prize, Picken) and use of models to improve delousing efficacy in cleaner fish (Runner up, Klute)

RSPCA Assured, the RSPCA’s farm animal welfare assurance scheme, sponsored the 2023 Award for the Best Dissertation on Welfare in Aquaculture at Swansea University. The award consists of a prestigious certificate of recognition and a £100 voucher and £50 runner-up prize that were presented to third-year marine biology students Alex and Synne. 

The students completed their research projects at Swansea University’s Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research (CSAR) and carried out a practical assignment using Operational Welfare Indicators (OWIs), as part of their Aquaculture & Fisheries module. Alex from Woking in Surrey (England) won the top prize for his project on measures of positive welfare in manyara tilapia and the runner-up prize was awarded to Synne from Norway for her research on variation in delousing efficacy of cleaner fish. Both projects were praised for their focus on practical and innovative ways to improve welfare in aquaculture.

Emilie Wix, Agriculture Manager at RSPCA Assured, said: “We work closely with the aquaculture industry and our members to continuously improve standards of welfare. There is increasing evidence that fish are sentient and research continues to suggest that they have the mental capacity to feel pain and suffer like any other animal. By sponsoring these Student Awards we hope that we can promote a greater awareness of welfare in the aquaculture industry and encourage the scientists of tomorrow to prioritise welfare.”

The RSPCA’s Farm Animals Department says it works to develop and regularly update detailed welfare standards for each of the major animal species farmed in the UK, including salmon and trout. All farms on the RSPCA Assured scheme must comply with the RSPCA’s welfare standards which go above and beyond ‘standard’ or typical UK production to ensure animals have what they need for a better quality of life.

Professor Carlos Garcia de Leaniz, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research at Swansea University, said: “We are committed to nurturing our students throughout their academic life, and beyond, into their professional lives. We are grateful for the support of RSPCA Assured by sponsoring this Award which aims to inspire our students to contribute to a greater understanding of how to improve welfare in the aquaculture industry. 

“Both of our winning students showed an outstanding knowledge of the welfare challenges faced in the fisheries and aquaculture industry and we hope they will go on to have a positive impact in shaping the future of industry in their careers.”