New Report on the Benefits of Aquatic Animal Welfare for Sustainability Released
New report released by the Aquatic Life Institute underscores the importance of aquatic animal welfare in achieving global sustainable development goals.
The Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) released a new report, Benefits of Aquatic Animal Welfare for Sustainability, highlighting the intersectionality between improved aquatic animal welfare and sustainable development. More importantly, it urges all public policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders to start taking aquatic animal welfare into consideration when developing sustainable development policies moving forward.
The report identifies ten priority areas in which aquatic animal welfare considerations go hand in hand with global environmental and sustainability targets. In this critical year, with the first UN Food Systems Summit and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization developing new guidelines on sustainable aquaculture, the report comes at an opportune time to stress that aquatic animal welfare should not be left behind in our effort in achieving the SDGs.
“With a food production system that is highly intensive coupled with low animal welfare, the result is weaker immune systems among animals and therefore more disease and need for antibiotics. This feedback loop greatly affects the environment and ecosystem, and ultimately lowers resource efficiency and productivity – the opposite of sustainability,”Christine Xu, Head of Strategic Initiatives at the Aquatic Life Institute.
“These recommendations offer a robust framework for implementing meaningful welfare interventions that allow for aquatic animals to have a life worth living, and in the context of global development, provide adaptive measures for aquaculture and fisheries to truly ensure sustainable and humane development.”William Bench, Founder of ALI.
