University of Stirling secured more than £2m for project

The University of Stirling has received funding for a major aquaculture project in Asia, focused on improving the welfare of farmed fish in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

This three-year project, led by Professor Dave Little of the university’s Institute of Aquaculture, is supported by a $2.7 million (around £2 million) grant from Open Philanthropy.

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(Image: Supplied) Professor Little said: "Across Asia, there are serious welfare issues that affect millions of aquatic animals, and there is an urgent need to drive change.

"In addition, there is very little awareness about the importance of improving the situation, and we believe that projects such as this can help to change that.

"Understanding consumer and other stakeholders’ perceptions is critical to improving practices throughout the value chain, by identifying and targeting areas that could improve welfare the most.

"In the first project, we identified harvest through to slaughter as being critical points where practice could most effectively be improved.

“We hope that this significant research funding will help to build on our work to date, which is focused on improving aquatic animal welfare, and its role as an ethical food choice, while also being of economic importance to the countries.”

(Image: Supplied) The project builds on previous work funded by Open Philanthropy in Thailand and Vietnam, and now expands its reach to Indonesia and promoting the development of the Asia Fish Welfare Network.

It will include research studies, workshops, outreach activities, and expanded mentorship programmes.

The project will also support six fully funded Master's students from the three target countries to study at the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture.

Applicants can apply for one of the studentships to study MSc Sustainable Aquaculture, MSc Aquatic Pathobiology, or MSc Aquatic Veterinary Studies during the 2025-26 or 2026-27 academic years.

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(Image: Supplied) Michelle Lavery, programme associate for farm animal welfare at Open Philanthropy, said: "We've supported the University of Stirling’s work on farmed fish welfare in Southeast Asia for the past three years, and we're excited to see what the next phase of their work brings.

"The team has prioritised building and supporting local fish welfare research communities in Thailand and Vietnam, and has partnered with industry and policymakers to maximise the chances that the fish welfare improvements resulting from their work are taken up sustainably.

"This kind of field-building and industry-facing groundwork is important for fish welfare now and into the future."

The announcement comes as the university prepares to open its National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH), funded by a £17 million investment from the UK Government through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal.