Fish Welfare Initiative
Improving the lives of farmed fishes through practical welfare solutions and research.
150+
farms partnered with through the Alliance for Responsible Aquaculture
4
pioneering research studies conducted to advance fish welfare since founding
1st
Aquatic Animal Welfare Forum co-hosted in China
10M+
fishes expected to have been helped through their work since 2019
About Fish Welfare Initiative
Fish Welfare Initiative (FWI) works to improve the lives of farmed fishes in India by implementing practical welfare interventions and promoting higher standards in aquaculture. Through their Alliance for Responsible Aquaculture, they partner with producers to apply science-based welfare improvements, such as improved water quality and reduced stocking density, that benefit millions of fishes. They also invest heavily in field research to develop more promising interventions for the future.
Fish Welfare Initiative at a Glance (2025)
Founded
2019
Revenue (2024)
$690 thousand
Growth
Can effectively absorb $960 thousand per year in 2025 and 2026.
Outcomes
Improves welfare for farmed fishes, particularly in India.
Scope
Can help millions of animals per year.
Direction
Demonstrates research-based decision making, transparency in operations, and adapts to new findings.
What is the unique problem?
In India, billions of fishes are farmed each year in conditions that often lack basic welfare standards, including adequate water quality, space, and humane slaughter methods, with millions of carps being farmed in intensive, unnatural conditions.
Despite their vast numbers, fishes remain among the least-protected and least-studied farmed animals, with little regulatory oversight or industry guidance on welfare practices. The absence of practical, evidence-based standards leaves enormous numbers of fishes vulnerable to preventable suffering.
How does Fish Welfare Initiative solve it?
Fish Welfare Initiative (FWI) works to reduce the suffering that fishes—especially carps—endure in current farming systems. They do so by implementing welfare improvements directly on farms and by influencing the aquaculture industry to adopt higher welfare practices, such as improved water quality, reduced stocking density, and humane handling during slaughter. The organization also advances research, industry partnerships, and policy engagement to identify new interventions to help improve and scale the most effective welfare interventions.
Recent Key Achievements
155 farms committed to working with FWI to improve fish welfare in 2024.
Led key studies on feed fortification and welfare assessment for carps.
Built relationships with governmental agencies to help bring about more pro-fish policies.
Conclusion
FWI is a highly promising organization improving farmed fish welfare through innovative, evidence-based programs in neglected regions. Their outreach and research have strong potential to help billions of fishes. While uncertainties about the trajectory of some of their programs meant that we ultimately did not choose to recommend them, we still think their work is likely to be considerably more cost effective than the average animal charity.
