Swiss Fish Welfare Meeting 2026

June 8, 2026

Irene ADRIAN-KALCHHAUSER

Prof. Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser, Institute for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern
Dr. Bettina Kirchmaier, Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University Frankfurt

Livia D'Angelo
University of Naples Federico II, Italy, GV-SOLAS, FELASA
Member of FELASA working group "Zebrafish: housing, husbandry, and health monitoring recommendations"
 
Linda Tschirren
Scientist at the Nofima production department, Norway
Author of "MyFishCheck: A Model to Assess Fish Welfare in Aquaculture"
 
Joana Monteiro
Researcher and manager of the fish platform at Champalimaud foundation, Portugal
Author of "Colony Management at Zebrafish Facilities" and "Dietary requirements for zebrafish"
 
Britta Lundström Stadelmann
Co-director of the Institute of Parasitology, University of Bern, Switzerland
Initiator of a lighthouse culture-of-care initiative in rodents @ Vetsuisse Bern

The Swiss Fish Welfare Meeting aims to advance the ethical treatment and scientific understanding of fish by bridging the gap between current research and practical application. The program focuses on improving the "Culture of Care" for experimental fish, addressing evolving legal frameworks across Europe and sharing empirical data on welfare-relevant science. Through keynote presentations and an interactive panel discussion, this meeting provides a platform for researchers, animal welfare officers, students and animal caretakers / experimenters to discuss standardized health monitoring and optimized fish colony management. Ultimately, the conference seeks to harmonize welfare standards to ensure the highest quality of life for fish in laboratory and aquaculture settings.

Sessions

• Session 1: Culture and Quality of Care for Experimental Fish
  Prof. Britta Lundström-Stadelmann, Vetsuisse Bern, Switzerland
  
   
• Session 2: Legal Frameworks in Europe: Addressing Current Gaps
  Assoc. Prof. Livia D'Angelo, University of Naples, Italy, FELASA
  
   
• Session 3: Welfare-Relevant Empirical Science (Free Submissions)
  Dr. Linda Tschirren, Nofima, Norway
  
   
• Session 4: New with Fish: What Matters?
  Dr. Joana Monteiro, Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal

Programme

9:00-17:00

EPFL

More information: (sharon_wismer(@)hotmail.com)

Call for abstracts (PDF)

Meeting info (PDF)

Travel costs:
CUSO PhD students are eligible for the reimbursement of incurred travel expenses by train (half-fare card, 2nd class). Claims can be done online via MyCUSO when the activity is over.

Fees:
CUSO members: Free (covered by CUSO if you register on this webpage)

PhD students of UNIBE, UNIFR, UNIGE, UNIL, UNINE: FREE but --> for CUSO to cover your registration fee, don't forget to register on the organiser's website as well and mention you are a CUSO PhD candidate to them (they will later send us an invoice).

Cancellation Policy

In case of cancellations, before the 1st deadline (01.04.2026): free
Late cancellations (after 01.04.2026) or 'no-show': 100 CHF administrative fee

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