The Africa Fish Welfare (AFIWEL) Fellowship is a pan-African capacity building, community building and field implementation program for professionals with skills and expertise in fisheries and aquaculture. The program is achieving the following key objectives:

1. Train and build the capacity of Fisheries and Aquaculture professionals on basic global best practices of Fish Welfare.
2. Improve their knowledge, and skills in implementing fish welfare interventions, including the development and adaptation of training guides, stakeholder training, community building and engagement, research and policy advocacy.
3. Support Fellows to implement country-based activities to integrate fish welfare practices into existing fish production systems and include fish welfare into the larger sphere of farmed animal welfare priorities.

The 2025 cohort of AFIWEL Fellows serves as the pilot with Fellows selected and drawn from the following countries: Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Tunisia, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa (8 of the highest fish-producing countries in Africa). The AFIWEL Fellows are participating in hands-on learning experiences on fish welfare and applying their knowledge of the progress, management, and execution of fish welfare initiatives and projects in their home countries.