Tackling tilapia welfare in the Americas and beyond
March, 2024
FAI and Spring Genetics, a leading tilapia genetics company, have joined forces to promote and enhance animal welfare standards in the aquaculture sector. This new partnership represents an important step in the journey towards supporting more sustainable aquaculture practices in the Americas.
Based in Miami, Spring Genetics operates a state-of-the-art nucleus of tilapia for breeding. The company is dedicated to improving genetic traits in tilapia to enhance productivity and sustainability for farmers worldwide, with a particular focus on North, Central, and South America.
Through the new partnership with FAI, Spring Genetics will receive specific welfare-focused training from FAI experts and use of FAI’s Tilapia Welfare assessment app. This support will help Spring Genetics implement improved welfare practices on their own tilapia breeding sites and share the new knowledge and technology with their clients.
Hideyoshi Segovia-Uno, CEO and Co-owner of Spring Genetics.
Spring Genetics staff run a state-of-the-art nucleus of tilapia for breeding.
Spring Genetics staff assessing tilapia
“Providing improved tilapia genetics is a crucial component of supporting the growth, sustainability, and profitability of the tilapia farming industry,” explains Hideyoshi Segovia-Uno, CEO and Co-owner of Spring Genetics. “But welfare is also vital when looking to improve fish performance.”
“I’ve long admired FAI’s work and by partnering with them we aim to enhance tilapia welfare and productivity across our own production sites and those of clients in the Americas, Africa and Asia. FAI's expertise and user-friendly tools will greatly benefit our work in the industry and help us improve animal welfare with greater ease and efficiency.”
FAI’s Director Murillo Quintiliano and Aquaculture Program Manager, Dr Sara Barrento, kicked-off the new partnership by delivering a ‘train the trainers’ webinar course for Spring Genetics staff. The workshop deepened the team’s understanding of tilapia welfare practices by introducing the Tilapia Welfare App, provided an overview of FAI’s e-learning resources and outlined the benefits of maintaining good tilapia welfare.
“I wanted our staff to take part in the workshop to learn about fish welfare so we can improve the protocols at our breeding nucleus in Miami, Florida,” continues Hideyoshi. “By applying animal welfare protocols learned from FAI's training, we expect our genetics to achieve better performance.”
FAI and Spring Genetics are now planning a series of aquaculture events in Central America beginning with the 3rd Global Tilapia Leaders conference from 26-28 June 2024, in San Salvador, El Salvador.
“The significance of the new partnership with Spring Genetics is underscored by the challenges facing the tilapia industry, including higher mortality rates due to disease outbreaks and the impacts of global warming,” concludes FAI’s Director, Murilo Quintiliano. “By integrating animal welfare protocols into daily activities, farmers can mitigate these challenges and promote sustainable growth in the sector. This partnership couldn't come at a more opportune time.
“In time, we will extend our collaborative efforts into Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America, complementing existing activities in Brazil and beyond. This partnership will be a catalyst for positive change throughout the region.