Africa Aquatic Animal Welfare (AQUAWEL) Conference 2025: Pioneering Fish Welfare in Africa
By One Health and Development Initiative (OHDI)
The first of its kind in Africa, the Africa Aquatic Animal Welfare (AQUAWEL) Conference 2025 marked a turning point for aquatic animal welfare on the continent. Held virtually from June 17–18 and powered by Aquatic Animal Alliance member, the One Health and Development Initiative (OHDI) through the Africa Fish and Aquatic Welfare (AFIWEL) Program, the event brought together various industry leaders, researchers, policy makers, and innovators with the goal to build a sustainable and ethical future for aquaculture in Africa. With strong participation from across the continent, the conference challenged conventional practices and ushered in a new era for ethical and economically viable fish farming.
A Compelling Call to Action
Dr Kikiope Oluwarore, Executive Director of One Health and Development Initiative and Lead of the AFIWEL Program opened the event with a firm and urgent call. Her words were simple, yet profound: “Sustainable aquaculture should be conducted with dignity, compassion, and accountability to animals, ecosystems, and communities.” That single statement set the tone for what was to come. For many in the audience, it was their first encounter with the notion that fish are sentient and can feel pain. That awareness sparked something more than interest. It sparked conviction.
Afterwards, Ms Foluke Omotayo Areola, President of the World Aquaculture Society Global, took the virtual stage. With clear and compelling data, she emphasised that protecting aquatic life is essential to protecting human well-being and our marine ecosystems.
Science Meets Welfare: Practical Innovations in Aquaculture
Presentations from African and international experts illustrated how improving fish welfare is both ethical and practical. Dr Olaosebikan Boluwaji explained how the use of ascorbic acid in catfish transport reduces stress and boosts survival rates. Abdul Noor Luttamaguzi presented troubling findings from Lake Victoria, where poor farm management was linked to parasitic infestations in tilapia. Dr. Stefan-Andreas Johnigk explained that “low-stress stockmanship automatically leads to high-quality farming, high-hygiene farming, high-impact and high-yield farming.” Also, Thomas Billington and Dr. Heleen van de Weerd emphasized that prioritizing fish welfare is also essential for profitability, as neglect often translates to significant production losses.
Catalina Lopez, Director of the Aquatic Animal Alliance, also highlighted that one of the most urgent and overlooked challenges we face is the gap in access to information, especially when it comes to making animal welfare knowledge truly usable for farmers in the Global South. So we need to ask the right questions: How do these farmers access information? Is it through local farming associations, agricultural extension officers, radio, WhatsApp groups, or community meetings? Do they read trade publications or local newspapers? What languages do they speak, and what kind of language feels familiar and applicable to their day-to-day work?
It boils down to translating complex science into practical knowledge, the kind that a farmer or producer can recognize and say, “I can try this today, on my farm.”
The Business and Legal Case for Fish Welfare
Day one of the conference ended with stories that inspired and provoked reflection. Stress reduction and healthier environments were shown to improve immunity and growth in farmed fish. Local innovations, like using shellfish to improve hatchery water quality in Nigeria, are low-cost and scalable. Low-stress aquaculture boosts both fish survival and farmer income.
There were also policy conversations led by experts such as Dr Mwenda Mbaka, Prof Sloans Chimatiro, and Dr Peter Ziddah. They discussed the limited recognition of fish welfare in national strategies. They also identified key gaps in training, enforcement, and legislation. In addition, they stressed the importance of harmonising laws and regulatory frameworks to protect ecosystems and promote sustainable trade. Dr Ziddah stated, “Good fish welfare is good business.” While Prof Chimatiro emphasized the urgency of integrating fish welfare into national strategies, noting that it is not just a policy necessity but a response to growing market expectations and a right that citizens deserve.
Welfare, Climate, and Public Health
On the second day, the conversation shifted gears with a keynote speech from Dr. Mohamed El-Araby, who emphasized the role of integrated aquaculture systems in building climate-resilient food systems and stronger environmental health outcomes. He described how integrated aquaculture systems can contribute to fish and aquaculture welfare, and provide stable food systems and environmental benefits. His message resonated deeply: fish welfare is part of the larger health ecosystem, affecting not just animals but also humans and the planet.
Later presentations explored innovations in feed development, pain management, and parasite control. These topics, while technical, were rooted in practical impact. Participants saw how research is being translated into affordable solutions for farmers and communities.
AFIWEL Fellows Driving Change
Inspiring voices emerged from the AFIWEL Fellows. These fisheries and aquaculture experts from eight African countries shared experiences that grounded theory in real-world practice. In Nigeria, Dr Sherifat Adegbesan is on a mission to help smallholder farmers understand that good welfare cuts costs and boosts yield. In Zambia, Darlington Besa is embedding fish welfare into the curriculum of fisheries training institutes. Ghana’s Isaac Frimpong Arthur is equipping policy teams with species-specific data to influence government decisions. And across South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya, and Tunisia, fellows are running public awareness campaigns, engaging stakeholders, and driving changes in academic and professional training.
A Roadmap for Action
In the afternoon, breakout sessions led to the development of a collaborative roadmap for implementation, focusing on four key areas: research, policy, education, and production. Some of the key priorities identified through these sessions included the establishment of a continental research and training hub; the development of context-specific training programs for farmers and trainers; the integration of welfare standards into academic curricula and licensing processes; the use of artificial intelligence tools for farm monitoring; and the launch of public awareness campaigns to promote ethically farmed fish.
You can find the full event report here.
If you’d like to stay connected and be part of follow-up events and community conversations, we invite you to join the AFIWEL WhatsApp group. Join here
Let’s keep building a stronger, ethical, and sustainable aquaculture community across Africa.
afiwelprogram@onehealthdev.org