Run by FAI in partnership with Ethical Seafood Research (ESR) and officially launched in February 2024, the Tilapia Welfare Egypt project aims to provide Egyptian fish farmers with the tools and knowledge needed to assess and improve tilapia welfare and enhance fish performance.
The project has overseen research into obstacles hindering improvements in fish welfare through farm-based surveys, delivered a series of welfare-focused fish farm visits, provided online learning sessions, and a full program of ‘train the trainers’ workshops. This has developed a new cohort of fish welfare trainers ready to support the Egyptian tilapia sector.
“In collaboration with Aquavet Egypt and Kafrelsheikh University, we’ve successfully facilitated the rigorous training of over 120 trainees in the use of tilapia welfare assessment protocol and associated monitoring tools,” explained Wasseem Emam, Founder, Director, and Head of Research at ESR. “These individuals will now go on to spread their knowledge and experience among tilapia farmers across Egypt. The selected trainers will play a vital role in addressing this previously overlooked aspect of fish farming within the country’s globally important tilapia industry.
A group of trainees practicing assessment procedures on an Egyptian tilapia farm. (Image credit: FAI)
“Improving tilapia welfare not only improves fish wellbeing, performance, and farm profitability but also brings Egypt in line with other leading fish-producing countries and hopefully opens up new export opportunities.”
The most recent ‘train the trainers’ workshops have taken place in Port Said and Kafr El-Sheikh, focusing on developing both the theoretical and practical aspects of fish welfare that are necessary for a better understanding and monitoring of farmed tilapia welfare. In addition to insightful lectures, trainees gained hands-on experience in the use of FAI’s Tilapia Welfare App, a user-friendly platform for assessing and managing the welfare of fish in a farm setting.
“Trainees also visited tilapia farms to practice carrying out welfare assessments in a real-world setting and completed FAI Academy’s online Tilapia Welfare courses,” continued Mr. Emam. “The aim was to provide the knowledge, tools, and experience trainers need via a combination of face-to-face learning and online support.”
Over 200 copies of the Tilapia Welfare App have now also been downloaded by users in Egypt, highlighting the growing interest in welfare on Egyptian tilapia farms and the growing success of the Tilapia Welfare Egypt project.
Trainees visiting a local tilapia farm near Kaft El-Shaikh. (Image credit: FAI)
“Enhancing tilapia welfare through dedicated apps and educational workshops is a vital step towards supporting a sustainable aquaculture sector in Egypt,” stated Aquavet Egypt Aquaculture Specialist Shaimaa Bakr, who helped deliver the series of ‘train the trainer’ events. “These tools empower farmers with the knowledge and resources needed to improve fish health, boost productivity, and promote environmentally friendly practices.”
The Tilapia Welfare Egypt project is run by ESR in partnership with FAI, a global leader in aquaculture welfare, with ambitions to advance sustainable aquaculture practices across the world.
“It’s an important project to be involved with,” explained FAI’s COO Murilo Quintiliano, who visited Egypt along with his FAI colleague Dr. Sara Barrento and the ESR team in February 2024 to help launch the project and learn about the specific challenges faced by Egyptian farmers. “Egypt is the top tilapia producer in Africa and one the top three in the world, so it’s exciting to know there’s a new cohort of trainers working specifically to help promote and better support the implementation of welfare practices across the country.
“Together with ESR, we are positively impacting the aquaculture sector in Egypt and promoting improvements that benefit both tilapia farmers and the fish under their care.”
