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Sara Barbieri presents Poster 55 during the poster sessions in the Aula.
Session theme 6: Free topics
127
Poster 55
DEVELOPMENT OF A RISK ASSESSMENT APPROACH TO IDENTIFY
POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS AFFECTING FISH WELFARE
A. Afonso, D. Candiani, T. Grudnik, F. Berthe, O. Ribó, E. Aiassa, S. Barbieri, S. Correia, F.
De Massis, S. Dhollander, P. Have, J. Serratosa
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), Parma, Italy
Fish welfare is currently a topic with growing public interest but also a subject of considerable
controversy since the assessment of the animal’s welfare status is complicated often by ethical
considerations. The European Commission requested the AHAW Panel of EFSA to issue a
scientific opinion on the animal welfare aspects of husbandry systems for farmed fish. The mandate
was divided in 5 different questions covering the most relevant farmed species in Europe: i)
Atlantic Salmon, ii) Rainbow and Brown trout, iii) Common Carp iv) Gilthead Sea bream and Sea
bass and v) European eel. The development of the five scientific opinions is still in progress.
The life cycle of farmed fish and the production systems were described and a list of production
inputs or conditionings with their potential welfare impact was identified based on the published
literature. A risk assessment approach based on the Codex Alimentarius (WHO) methodology was
developed to assess the potential risks for fish welfare.
In this assessment a hazard is a production factor with a potential to cause an adverse welfare effect.
Several categories of factors/hazards were evaluated, such as environmental conditions (abiotic and
biotic factors), food and feeding, husbandry and management, genetic, diseases and impact of
disease control measures. The assessment takes into consideration the different production systems
for each of the life stages of farmed species. A semi quantitative approach was used to estimate risk
taking into account using expert opinion.
A risk in animal welfare can be described as a function of the probability of a negative animal
welfare effect and the severity of that effect, consequential to the exposure to a hazard(s). The
methodology used allows the ranking of potential factors taking advantage of a logical approach to
describe both the severity of the effect and the population’s probability of exposure.
Contact information: Ana Afonso or email ana.afonso@efsa.europa.eu
Complete address: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW),
Largo N. Palli 5/A, 43100 Parma, Italy
Species: Fish