Fish Ethology and Welfare Group

Name

Fish Ethology and Welfare Group

Legal name

FishEthoGroup Association

Website

https://fishethogroup.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture Welfare Consulting

NAICS

Animal Production and Aquaculture (112), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM)

Keywords

• Fish welfare consulting
• Aquaculture welfare assessment
• Animal behavior research
• Fair-fish database
• Ethology training

Headquarters

HQ city

Olhão

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Fish welfare consultancy offered globally to farmers and stakeholders, providing custom-made welfare solutions based on scientific and practical fish welfare experience
2. Training Course Fees: Advanced training courses on fish welfare and ethology, such as the Measuring Animal Behaviour course priced at €200 per participant, with grants available for students

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FishEthoGroup is a non-profit research and consultancy association delivering science-based welfare assessments and solutions for farmed and wild-caught fishes. Its core offerings include the fair-fish online database with WelfareCheck species profiles, custom fish welfare consultancy for aquaculture stakeholders, applied ethology training courses, and scientific research projects. The organization also disseminates knowledge via the Fish Talk podcast series.

Product overview

FishEthoGroup is a non-profit association offering a portfolio of services centered on fish welfare science. The core offering is the fair-fish Database with WelfareCheck profiles—an online platform providing species-specific welfare assessments for farmed and wild-caught aquatic animals. Supporting services include the Fish Talk podcast (comprising The Fish Mind programme, Fish Five interviews, and fair-fish database programme), advanced training courses on ethological methods, fish welfare consultancy, and collaborative scientific research projects. The organization bridges gaps between scientific research and aquaculture stakeholders including producers, certifiers, retailers, NGOs, and policymakers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fish Talk: Podcast series featuring Fish Five interview programme, The Fish Mind programme, and fair-fish database programme focused on fish cognition, behaviour, and welfare
• Fish Five
• The Fish Mind
• WelfareCheck

Products and services

• Fair-fish Database
• WelfareCheck Profiles
• Fish Talk Podcast
• Measuring Animal Behaviour Training Course
• Fish Welfare Consultancy
• Scientific Research Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced heart rate and quicker stress recovery in enriched tanks during common husbandry procedures
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• S2AQUAcoLABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2023Strategic partnership with this private non-profit institution working for smart and sustainable aquaculture. FishEthoGroup contributes unique expertise in fish welfare in terms of fundamental and applied knowledge, policy advice, and shares common vision for collaborative aquaculture development.
• Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional host of FishEthoGroup's experimental research group. FishEthoGroup is based at CCMAR's University of Algarve facilities.
• fair-fish internationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the fair-fish database, the first online database to assemble ethological knowledge of farmed and fished aquatic species. FishEthoGroup continues collaboration on this project with Billo Heinzpeter Studer who founded FishEthoBase (now fair-fish database).
• Compassion In World Farming (CIWF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishEthoGroup delivered training on fish welfare for CIWF team covering fish behavior, biology, farming systems, welfare challenges, and operational welfare indicators.
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization with potential collaboration on aquaculture welfare standards and certification.
• Centro de Aquicultura da Unesp (Caunesp)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on post-doc project developing The Fish Mind section of ConsCIÊNCIA Animal blog and welfare assessment of farmed species based on fair-fish database.
• European CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishEthoGroup works as consultant for the European Commission. Their AAC recommendation has influenced EU fish welfare policy with the Commission committing to review directives.
• Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishEthoGroup produced a report 'Using Ethology to Improve Farmed Fish Welfare and Production' that was the basis for an official AAC recommendation to the European Commission.
• Portuguese Aquaculture Association (Associação de Aquacultores)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerObserver Partner status providing independent expertise to the Portuguese aquaculture sector to support knowledge exchange, transparency, and development of sustainable practices.
• Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation of Pablo Arechavala-Lopez. IMEDEA hosts training courses in collaboration with FishEthoGroup and CCMAR.
• Shanghai Ocean UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishEthoGroup delivered a tailored course on Fish Welfare at this Chinese university in December.
• Zhejiang UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on aquatic animal welfare seminars and conferences. Co-organized the 2nd Aquatic Animal Welfare Research and Practice Seminar in Hangzhou, China.
• APROMAR (Spanish Aquaculture Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishEthoGroup coordinated and contributed to preparation of fish welfare guides including Volume 4 on rainbow trout welfare.
• University of AlgarvecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for FishEthoGroup headquarters at University of Algarve campus through CCMAR.
• AQUATECHinn 4.0minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishEthoGroup creating content for online training platform modules on new trends in aquaculture, circular economy, new technologies, and fish welfare.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AquaBioTech Group: Malta-based aquaculture consulting and research firm providing technical services to fish farms, hatcheries, and investors globally. Comparable because both monetize aquaculture expertise through consultancy, research, and training engagements, but AquaBioTech operates across the full aquaculture production stack (system design, disease management, environmental compliance) rather than specializing in welfare science.
• NOFIMA: Norwegian applied research institute covering aquaculture, fisheries, and food production. While NOFIMA is vastly larger and operates across the full aquaculture value chain, it conducts welfare-relevant research on farmed salmon and other species. Comparable for aquaculture research output, scientific credibility with regulators, and producer engagement models, but with much broader scope than FishEthoGroup's welfare specialization.
• Friend of the Sea: International sustainability certification scheme for fisheries and aquaculture. As a FishEthoGroup partner and adjacent organization, both work with retailers and producers on sustainability/welfare claims, but Friend of the Sea is a far more established certification brand. Comparable as a standards-setting and assurance body for aquaculture products that increasingly incorporates welfare criteria.
• Compassion in World Farming: Major international animal welfare NGO that has commissioned FishEthoGroup for fish welfare training. CIWF works across farmed species (not just fish) and operates significant advocacy campaigns, but their fish welfare work — including engagement with retailers and food businesses — overlaps with FishEthoGroup's customer segments. CIWF is a far larger and more established organization, making it a broad incumbent in the welfare science and advocacy space.
• Wageningen University & Research (Aquaculture and Fisheries Group): One of the world's leading agricultural and aquaculture research universities, with substantial fish welfare research output and EU-funded projects. While Wageningen is a vastly larger academic institution, its aquaculture welfare research, EU policy influence, and training programs make it a comparable scientific peer, though with far broader scope than FishEthoGroup's applied consultancy focus.

Direct peers

• fair-fish international: Swiss-based NGO and co-developer of the fair-fish database that FishEthoGroup maintains and extends. Their work overlaps almost entirely with FishEthoGroup's species welfare assessment mission, and they collaborate closely (Billo Heinzpeter Studer founded the original FishEthoBase). They represent the closest peer in mission, methodology, and customer base.
• Fish Welfare Initiative: A US-based NGO specifically focused on improving the welfare of farmed fish through research, advocacy, and farmer engagement. FishEthoGroup President João Saraiva sits on its Fish Advisory Board, indicating direct peer collaboration. Both organizations target the same problem — bringing evidence-based welfare science to aquaculture producers — through similar channels of training, assessment, and policy engagement.

Others

• S2AQUAcoLAB: Portuguese private non-profit collaborative laboratory focused on smart and sustainable aquaculture, and a core strategic partner of FishEthoGroup. S2AQUAcoLAB works on applied aquaculture research but with broader production-oriented scope. Comparable as a Portuguese aquaculture innovation ecosystem participant, but positioned as a partner/supplier rather than a competitor in welfare science.
• Eurogroup for Animals: Brussels-based umbrella organization coordinating animal welfare advocacy across the EU, including on aquaculture policy. As a FishEthoGroup partner, the relationship signals alignment on EU policy influence, but Eurogroup operates as a broader coalition across many species rather than a fish welfare specialist. Comparable because both organizations shape EU animal welfare legislation and engage similar institutional stakeholders.

Emerging players

• Animal Welfare Observatory: Italy-based research and advocacy organization focused on animal welfare in food systems. As a FishEthoGroup partner and a smaller emerging voice in welfare research, it represents a peer in scope (animal welfare science and policy) but with a less specialized focus on fish. Comparable for the science-to-policy translation model FishEthoGroup operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fish-ethology-and-welfare-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fish Ethology and Welfare Group