Project summary

Ethical Seafood Research (ESR) is dedicated to improving the welfare of aquatic animals in the global food system by developing practical science-based solutions that drive institutional change. ESR does this through a combination of research, education & training.

The group's main operations are on the ground in Africa, specifically Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania. This project focuses on improving the welfare of farmed Nile tilapia in Egypt, the world’s third-largest producer of this species. Nile tilapia are one of the fish species that are farmed in the greatest numbers. Historically, the concept of animal welfare in aquaculture was virtually nonexistent in the country. Through strategic training workshops, surveys and partnerships with key stakeholders, ESR has already made progress by advancing the concept of fish welfare and working with 15% of the Egyptian aquaculture sector, positively improving the lives of 260 million fish in just the first year of operation!

We did this by equipping the key stakeholders in the country who regularly visit farms with the ‘Tilapia Welfare App’ (TWA) developed by FAI Farms. The TWA allows users to accurately assess the welfare status of tilapia in a given aquaculture operation and assigns the pond or cage a welfare score. The App also gives recommendations for improvements such as changing water or feeding differently. By actioning those improvements and then reassessing, the welfare score goes up. The launch of the FAI Tilapia Welfare App was a major milestone which enabled welfare assessments at more than 1,000 farms in just the first year of this project’s operation.

The ‘Tilapia Welfare Egypt’ project collaborates with government agencies, universities, feed producers and retailers to embed welfare standards across the industry. Current efforts include expanding high-welfare practices to large-scale producers like the Egyptian Army’s fish farms and the Suez Canal Authority Farms, organising a Dutch Embassy-backed ‘Regional Tilapia Forum’, piloting humane slaughter methods and rolling out water quality testing programs.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

The primary goals of this project are to:

1. Establish and promote high welfare standards in Egypt’s tilapia farming industry.

2. Reduce tilapia suffering during slaughter.

3. Create a market-driven demand for more ethically farmed fish.

To achieve these objectives, ESR will expand the use of the Tilapia Welfare App so it serves as a core tool, allowing more farmers and industry professionals to assess and improve conditions on farms. The team will facilitate training programs (that have been demonstrated to have impact), including workshops and "train the trainer" sessions, supporting the continued use and roll-out of the App across the sector. Additionally, new and existing strategic partnerships with government bodies, universities and major feed producers will be leveraged to institutionalise higher welfare practices.

Specifically, ESR's 2024 pilot study revealed that, due to various identified factors such as multiple species being farmed consecutively and a large variation in harvested sizes, Egypt's semi-intensive aquaculture sector is unlikely to be currently suited for a large-scale roll-out of electrical pre-slaughter stunning. Therefore, ESR is currently considering the possibility of improving harvest/slaughter practices by introducing proven ice slurry methods as a way to stun and slaughter the fish simultaneously, reducing suffering extensively in comparison to the current method of leaving the fish for hours to die slowly on very little ice. 

Additionally, ESR will complete a case study to assess the impact of regular check-ins with farmers (and provision of affordable water testing kits) on ensuring continuous farmer-led water quality monitoring, which should have direct effects in improving fish welfare and farm performance. The study compares farms that receive low-cost testing kits and training with those that don’t, tracking outcomes over the production cycle. To support sustained change, the team has been working with a behavioural change expert to design the intervention in a way that builds habits and aligns with farmers’ motivations.

How will this funding be used?

Funding will be allocated to expand the reach and impact of the project’s key initiatives. A significant portion will support the scaling up of the Tilapia Welfare App, including user training and integration with partner programs, and technical support when issues arise with users. Resources will also be directed toward co-developing national aquatic animal welfare guidelines in conjunction with the Egyptian government.

Partnerships with major producers, such as the Egyptian Army and Suez Canal Authority farms, will require funding for travel to on-site assessments and implementation support. Research into humane slaughter methods, particularly the testing of ice slurry stunning, will be funded to develop viable alternatives to current practices.

The water quality monitoring case study will require funds to distribute testing kits and analyse the link between more frequent water quality monitoring and improved fish welfare.

Additionally, funding will contribute to our initiative to establish a digital marketplace that connects high-welfare farms with buyers, creating economic incentives for better practices.

With the minimum funding, we would roll out the Tilapia Welfare App to another 125 farms, improving the welfare of around 32.5 million fish in one production cycle.

With the full funding, we would reach 130 million fish in one production cycle.

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

The team in Egypt is run by ESR's Egypt Country Manager, Mohamed Bakr​. Mohamed is an aquaculture expert with extensive experience managing fish farms. Hailing from the Kafr El-Sheikh region in Egypt where most of the country's fish production takes place, he is well-versed in the local farming context. He continues to supervise a number of the Egyptian Army's shrimp farming projects.

ESR's Founder and Director, Wasseem Emam, who is also from Egypt originally, is overseeing the project. He is an accomplished aquatic ecologist with over 15 years of experience across the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Both are supported by a wide team of professors, veterinarians and aquaculture engineers on the ground.

The initial stages of the project have already achieved remarkable success. Within its first year, the Tilapia Welfare App improved conditions for over 260 million fish, reaching 15% of the country’s aquaculture production. The team has secured partnerships with the Egyptian government’s Central Lab for Aquaculture Research (CLAR), ensuring welfare is included in official training programs. Collaborations with seven universities and major feed producers (De Heus, Aller Aqua, Koudijs Kapo) have further institutionalised welfare practices. The project has also gained recognition as the leading advocate for fish welfare in Egypt through media outreach, industry seminars and farmer surveys.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

The most likely causes of failure include resistance from farmers who may view welfare practices as costly or unnecessary, insufficient funding to scale training and technology, or a lack of sustained government and industry support. If key stakeholders, such as feed producers or retailers, withdraw their commitments, the market-driven incentives for higher welfare could collapse. Additionally, if the Tilapia Welfare App or water quality monitoring tools are not widely adopted, the project’s ability to measure and improve conditions would be severely limited.

Should the project fail, the consequences would be significant. Billions of farmed tilapia would continue to endure poor living conditions as well as cruel and inhumane slaughter practices. The concept of fish welfare could lose credibility in Egypt, making future initiatives harder to implement. Finally, the opportunity to establish Egypt as a leader in ethical aquaculture would be diminished, potentially slowing progress in other regions given Egypt’s leadership role in the sector both within Africa and within the MENA region. Continued funding and stakeholder engagement are therefore essential to prevent these setbacks and ensure long-term success.

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

ESR's 2024 Revenue = £105,224.00

Supporters include Open Philanthropy, Craigslist Charitable Fund, Joanna Toole Foundation, Welttierschutz Stiftung, Global Fishing Watch, and Oceana.