Deliverable 3.6 - Methodology for assessing welfare in Mediterranean Marine Fish Farming

This deliverable (DL) provides an introduction to fish welfare in aquaculture and results from the systematization of knowledge for sea bass and sea bream, evaluating risk factors and welfare indicators. A comparison of the main certification schemes and standards production and good practices used in SBB and SBG companies is further assessed with respect to health and welfare principles and indicators applied. The DL reports on the process of selection and validation of OWIs by the PerformFISH Consortium. The methodology to assess and score fish welfare at different life stage and farming system is provided. A first benchmarking of welfare status of farmed bass and bream for MMFF is given based on OWIs data collection on farm and from PerformFISH Gateway D4Science(W-KPIs from WP7). Most part of the work is completed and the list of OWIs is consolidated (task 3.5.1, 3.5.2). However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, activities related to OWIs implementation on farm and elaboration of welfare scoring (task 3.5.3) have been suspended on February 15th. The present DL is thus submitted as a draft version. It is estimated that the DL3.6 will be finalized within 6 months after pandemic restrictions are lifted.