Dear BERGers and SHAIRers,

 

This Wednesday at 4pm in Psychology Common Room (and hybrid on Teams – link below) we will have a talk by Amaya Albalat from Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture:

 

‘Welfare challenges and optimisation of stunning practices in the decapod crustaceans’

 

Abstract:

Decapod crustaceans provide a valuable food source worldwide, both through wild capture and captive rearing. They are also used extensively in scientific research, both as subjects for the investigation of basic biological processes and as model organisms for the detection of environmental changes. There is now an increasing acceptance that decapod crustaceans are sentient, and legislation is being introduced in numerous countries to ensure crustacean welfare when they are harvested or held captive. Moreover, methods for the humane slaughter of these animals are being developed, and of these electrical stunning is a prime candidate. In this talk, I will introduce some of the key welfare challenges and present the research work we are doing to optimise electrical stunning using neurological, physiological (heartbeat) and behavioural measures in different decapod species.