Catch Welfare Platform

Public interest in catch welfare is growing. Four out of five European consumers now think that fish deserve the same protection as other food-production animals. Tesco and other leading supermarkets are setting welfare standards for seafood products. Government agendas also increasingly consider fish welfare. The debate on animal welfare is currently dominated by NGOs, policy officers and researchers. This may lead to unrealistic expectations or suggestions that do not match the daily reality onboard. To create workable solutions for fisheries, it is key that industry is involved. This is why we created the Catch Welfare Platform. By bringing scientists, fisheries and their suppliers together, we aim to create pragmatic solutions to improve catch welfare- The Catch Welfare concept promotes profitability and sustainability in wild capture fisheries by reducing stress in the catch. Reduced stress improves meat quality and ethical reputation while also reducing collateral mortality in unwanted catches- Our goals Make fisheries future-proof by… • Giving industry a voice in the catch welfare conversation • Steering away from controversies and focusing on facts • Sharing knowledge, creating synergy and realistic expectations • Creating practical and profitable solutions for catch welfare - This is an initiative by: Wageningen Livestock Research Institute of Marine Research Norway NOFIMA Michelle Boonstra Consultancy Partners: the Arctic University of Norway Carefish/Catch The Fishing Daily