Caviar cruelty: GAIA launches appeal against proposed sturgeon mega-farm in Belgium

Belgian animal protection organisation, GAIA, has launched an appeal against the proposed sturgeon mega-farm in Kinrooi, Belgium. The project, granted an environmental permit, has raised concerns about the welfare of the sturgeon and its environmental impact. Sturgeon, with populations critically endangered in the wild, face significant welfare challenges in industrial farming systems due to their slow growth, long lifespan, and specific biological needs. GAIA argues that the project raises fundamental questions about the welfare of a wild species and calls for the precautionary principle to be applied before industrial production is expanded on this scale.

As the European Commission revises animal welfare legislation, GAIA and Eurogroup for Animals advocate for comprehensive, species-specific welfare standards to be established for farmed fish. With the increasing diversification of aquaculture, welfare protections need to advance to reflect the different biological and behavioural needs of various fish species. The groups emphasize the importance of establishing robust welfare safeguards before industries expand to ensure the ethical treatment of farmed fish.