FAI Launches World’s First Tilapia Welfare App
New York, USA. (Dec. 12, 2022) - International food animal solutions company FAI Farms (FAI) has launched an online application for fish farmers around the world in an effort to improve welfare and profitability, beginning with tilapia farms. The company is now seeking partners in the hatchery, farming and processing sectors.
Working with scientists and farmers in Brazil, Thailand and China, FAI has developed a farmer-led bottom-up approach to improve fish welfare and profitability. FAI’s free to use Tilapia Welfare App operationalizes scientifically validated welfare indicators for health, environment, behaviour and nutrition. This allows farmers’ own observations to help determine what good welfare for tilapia looks like.
“Who cares the most about tilapia welfare? We believe farmers are the most important actor to drive welfare improvements in aquaculture. Farmers are an untapped force for good whose power can be unleashed through practical farm assessments that align business and welfare objectives,” said Øistein Thorsen, CEO of FAI.
The Tilapia Welfare App integrates well-established animal welfare science into farmers’ daily routines. The app monitors progress, identifies improvement opportunities and provides real-time insight to users, supported by online training in multiple languages.
“We are now looking for partners – farmers, production companies, hatcheries and processors – who want to trial the app and start assessing their fish in order to improve welfare, production outcomes and profitability. Our experience is that assessments kickstart a positive spiral of improvements,” said Murilo Quintiliano, FAI Director.
Through real-time feedback the Tilapia Welfare App helps tilapia farmers achieve win-win improvements for the benefit of farmers and animals alike. It is designed to be applied by farmers at the hatchery, farm and slaughter stages in any part of the world.
Early collaborators, like Paolo Tahara, owner of Brazilian tilapia farm Tahara Pescados, are already seeing the benefits: “I supply tilapia to the local market, and I am using the knowledge from the FAI assessment to reduce losses, secure constant improvements and stay on track.”
The mobile app can be used as a farmer self-assessment, or as a second- or third-party assessment tool, and results can be shared with customers and stakeholders, including certification bodies. The app monitors progress, identifies improvement opportunities and provides real-time insight to users, supported by the free e-learning suite.
To learn more, and to sign-up to trial the app, visit mytilapia.farm
