Overview

Millions of fishes are used in research and testing globally each year, and there is now widening recognition of the need to minimise harms and improve welfare. This RSPCA-led online event, which is now in its fourth year, brings together experts to share cutting-edge knowledge and approaches to refining fish care and use, enhancing animal welfare, reproducibility and translatability.

This event has now concluded, thank you to all our speakers and participants for joining us for the fourth edition of Focus on Fish!

Speakers

You can view some of the key speakers for the event below. 
The full confirmed speaker lineup can be viewed on the agenda.

name name,
position,
company

name name,
position,
company

name name,
position,
company

name name,
position,
company

Agenda

This event has now concluded, you can view the schedule of the event below.

Event Day – Online
2024-02-29
11:00
Welcome
Chloe Stevens | RSPCA
Session: Monitoring health and welfare
11:05
An adaptable, user-friendly score sheet to monitor welfare in experimental fish
Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser
University of Bern
11:30
Guidance for checking of laboratory fishes
Claire Joiner
Cefas
11:55
FELASA-AALAS Recommendations for Monitoring and Reporting of Laboratory Fish Diseases and Health Status, with an Emphasis on Zebrafish
FELASA-AALAS Recommendations for Monitoring and Reporting of Laboratory Fish Diseases and Health Status, with an Emphasis on Zebrafish image
J-P Mocho
DanioVet
12:20 - 14:25
Lunch Break
Session: Practical refinements
14:25
Applying the 3Rs principles in wild fish research
Miriam Zemanova
University of Fribourg, Animalfree Research, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
14:50
Refining the use of general anaesthesia in embryo larval zebrafish: effective and tolerated concentrations of six commonly used fish anaesthetics
Sylvia Dimitriadou
University of Exeter
15:15
A systematic review of the impact of environmental enrichment in zebrafish
Matheus Gallas-Lopes
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
15:40
Improving zebrafish maintenance conditions and handling procedures with ethology and ecology in mind
Improving zebrafish maintenance conditions and handling procedures with ethology and ecology in mind image
Robert Gerlai
University of Toronto
16:05 - 16:15
Meeting wrap up, take home messages of the day and close
Select date to see events.

Poster submissions

Poster submissions highlighting refinements for fishes in research and testing are very welcome. If you have a poster that you would like to be included in the virtual poster area, accessible on the day of the meeting, please email animalsinscience@rspca.org.uk using the title ‘Focus on Fish – poster submission’.

2024 Session Replays

You can watch the Focus on Fish 2024 session replays below!

2023 Session Replays

You can watch the Focus on Fish 2023 session replays by visiting the 2023 website.

Who should attend?

This meeting is appropriate for all those involved in the care, use and regulation of fishes in research and testing, including:

  • Scientists
  • Animal technologists and care staff
  • Veterinarians
  • Regulators
  • Members of Animal Ethics Committees, Animal Welfare Bodies (including the UK AWERB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees

Whilst this event is free to attend, any voluntary donations are appreciated as they will help us to continue to hold similar conferences, meetings and workshops in the future.

About RSPCA

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a registered charity in England and Wales, with the vision to live in a world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion.

Contact

Should you have any questions about this event, please contact Forum Europe, RSPCA’s logistics partner for the ‘Focus on Fish’ event:

Sophie Turner
Event Manager – On behalf of RSPCA

Tel: +44 (0) 2920 783 020

focusonfish@forum-europe.com