The Catch Welfare Platform – a focus on future-proof fisheries

What is Catch Welfare?

The Catch Welfare concept focuses on pragmatic solutions to reduce individual stress levels in the catch (Fig. 1). This includes unwanted and released animals, and those to be slaughtered onboard. Incentivizing fishers, such as through the valorisation of seafood products adhering to good catch welfare standards, is envisaged as a key outcome. Our work on the Catch Welfare concept will start at the conference and continue thereafter.

Our approach will improve sustainability by reducing collateral mortality during fishing and enhance profitability by improving product quality and shelf-life. Reducing stress would create premium market opportunities for seafood caught with good catch welfare standards. We recognise the connection between the Catch Welfare concept and ongoing challenges in wild-capture fisheries, such as overfishing. 

Conference registration is open, and the list of participants represent a wide range of seafood-related industry stakeholders from across in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. In addition, many researchers from around the World have signed up to participate in the conference. 

More information can be found on our website (catchwelfareplatform.com).

Catch Welfare Platform-team

The team behind the Catch Welfare Platform concept includes expertise in animal welfare, wild-capture fishing, food science and technology, consumer research and stakeholder engagement: 

• Institute of Marine Research, Norway: Mike Breen, Neil Anders
• Nofima, Norway: Ragnhild Aven Svalheim, Themis Altintzoglou, Bjørn Roth
• UiT The Artic University of Norway, Norway: Endre Grimsbø
• Michelle Boonstra Consultancy, Netherlands: Michelle Boonstra
• Wageningen Livestock Research, Netherlands: Hans van de Vis (co-ordinator)
• UEH University, Vietnam: Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy