World Fisheries Day: Putting Fish Welfare and Sustainable Seas into Practice a feedforward blog on 21st November

carlgroombridge71

2 days ago

4 min read

Three orange clownfish nestle in a purple sea anemone against a deep blue aquarium background — Clownfish nestled among the vibrant, flowing tentacles of a sea anemone in a tranquil underwater scene.

World Fisheries Day, observed on 21 November, is a useful moment for zoos and aquariums to connect two conversations that are often kept apart: the health of wild aquatic ecosystems and the welfare of fish living in human care. World Animal Protection includes the date in its animal-awareness calendar, while the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) uses it to highlight the contribution of fisheries and fishing communities, alongside the need for responsible, sustainable practice (World Animal Protection, n.d.; FAO, 2025).

For aquarium teams, the day should not become a simple message that all fishing is harmful or that one visitor choice can solve complex pressures. It can instead prompt practical questions about how the institution cares for fish, where animal diets come from, and how visitors learn about aquatic life.

A day about ecosystems, livelihoods and responsible use

Fisheries are part of food systems and support livelihoods, but they also depend on healthy aquatic environments. The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries frames responsible use around conserving aquatic ecosystems and maintaining the quality, diversity and availability of fishery resources over time (FAO, 1995). That wider context matters: conservation messages are strongest when they recognise both ecological limits and the people whose lives and work are connected to fisheries.

An aquarium can make this connection visible. A display about a local river or coastal habitat can show how changes to water quality, habitat structure, food webs and human activity affect the animals living there. The goal is not to turn every exhibit into a lecture on seafood. It is to help visitors see fish as animals with biological needs and as part of larger ecological relationships.

Two responsibilities for aquarium teams

World Fisheries Day offers a chance to review two related but distinct responsibilities. The first is the welfare of fish in the collection. The second is the environmental and welfare implications of products used by the institution, including ingredients in animal diets. Keeping these questions separate prevents a common misunderstanding: caring well for a fish in an aquarium is not the same issue as managing a wild fishery, even though both depend on good evidence and responsible decisions.

When reviewing purchasing or feed policies, teams can ask whether suppliers are traceable, whether sourcing aligns with the organisation’s sustainability commitments, and whether alternatives have been considered with the relevant nutrition and veterinary professionals. A procurement review should be specific to the ingredients, species and supply chain in question. Avoid broad claims such as “sustainable seafood” without explaining what the institution means by that term and how it checks its own approach.

Fish welfare is species-specific

Fish welfare cannot be reduced to a single water-quality target or a generic enrichment checklist. Species differ in their environmental requirements, social behaviour, feeding ecology and use of space. A review of fish welfare in public aquariums and zoological collections recommends combining behavioural, performance and physiological indicators, and tailoring assessments to the species or group being managed (Smith, 2023).

For a practical review, the team can begin with a clear question: is the animal able to use its habitat in ways that support its normal behaviour, and what evidence would help us answer that? Depending on the species, useful observations may include feeding engagement, social interactions, shelter use, swimming patterns and any changes from an established individual or group baseline. These observations should be interpreted alongside water quality, lighting, habitat design, stocking and husbandry records. A change in behaviour is a reason to investigate, not a diagnosis on its own.

EAZA’s welfare framework makes a similar point: nutrition, physical health, environment and behaviour all contribute to an animal’s experience, and decisions should aim to support positive welfare rather than only prevent obvious harm (EAZA, n.d.). In practice, this means that technical readings and animal-based observations need to inform each other. A stable reading does not by itself show that every behavioural need is being met, while a behavioural change may help the team identify a technical issue worth checking.

Make the awareness day useful for visitors and staff

Young girl in a yellow dress presses to an aquarium glass, watching large fish swim in blue-green water, curious and delighted — A young girl gazes in wonder at colorful fish swimming gracefully in an aquarium, her reflection visible in the glass.

A short keeper talk, school activity or digital post can explain how a fish’s environment supports its behaviour. Rather than presenting water quality as a list of numbers, staff can show how water conditions, flow, shelter, group structure and feeding opportunities work together for the animals in a particular exhibit. Keep species differences visible: what suits one fish cannot automatically be copied for another.

Teams can also use the day to review the path from observation to action. Agree what staff should record, who reviews emerging patterns, and how the team will assess any change that follows. If procurement is part of the discussion, explain the institution’s actual sourcing criteria and any limits in the information available. Honest, specific interpretation is more credible than a sweeping promise.

How Animal Insights can help

Animal Insights Consultancy can support aquarium teams by reviewing habitat performance and life-support systems alongside animal-based observations; helping teams turn water-quality and husbandry information into clear questions and follow-up actions; and shaping accessible visitor or staff resources that explain aquatic welfare without oversimplifying it. Potential clients are welcome to book a 20-minute free, informal chat with no commitment to discuss their situation and explore whether Animal Insights is the right fit.

A practical next step

World Fisheries Day is a prompt to look beyond a single headline and ask what the team can improve. Choose one exhibit, one welfare question or one part of the institution’s sourcing policy, then review the evidence with the people responsible for animal care, nutrition and technical operations. A focused review is more likely to lead to a useful change than a broad campaign that cannot be followed through.