Animal Law Focus is Fighting for Fish
Animal Law Focus affirms its commitment to fighting for all animals as it joins the Aquatic Animal Alliance.
We are excited to announce that Animal Law Focus has joined the Aquatic Animal Alliance (AAA), as we expand our fight for farmed animals to include the millions of fish suffering as a result of the growing aquaculture industry in the Global South. Farmed fish are some of the most abused animals on the planet, as they are raised in overcrowded conditions, and often suffer from a host of diseases before they are painfully slaughtered. The joining of the AAA marks the beginning of our fight against this abusive industry.
The AAA is a coalition of advocacy organizations dedicated to improving the welfare of aquatic animals exploited as part of the food system around the world. Coalition members have already achieved big wins for marine animals, with Action for Dolphins shutting down a dolphin meat supplier in Japan, and the Fish Welfare Initiative estimated to have supported 450,000 fish in 2023 through its Alliance for Responsible Aquaculture. We hope that Animal Law Focus will follow in these footsteps!
The current landscape for aquaculture in the Global South is troubling. Chile, the focus of our first in depth investigation, is the second-largest producer of farmed salmon in the world, and the largest exporter to the US. In 2023, around 231 million fish were slaughtered in Chile alone, equating to 439 fish every minute. Because of the prevalence of bacterial diseases in these farms, Chilean salmon have one of the highest rates of antibiotic consumption globally despite pressing concerns around antibiotic resistance and their potential impact on the environment. Diseases such as piscirickettsia salmonis cause anemia, skin lesions, and enlarged spleens in salmon, and infected farms regularly see a large proportion of their fish die as a result. Infestations of sea lice in overcrowded farms are another welfare issue endemic to aquaculture, with lice causing painful open sores that weaken the immune system of these individuals, often resulting in deaths.
Animal Law Focus wants to address this systemic cruelty and negligence. Just as with land-based animals, we will carry out in-depth research on the existing regulation governing aquaculture and infractional behaviour from the companies in the industry, and develop targeted actions and strategies to close regulatory gaps, improve enforcement, and correct non-compliant practices. With the rapid expansion of aquaculture in Chile in the last twenty five years, and with trade amongst the global south in the sector rising 63% in the last decade, we believe that regulation and enforcement mechanisms have not caught up with the industry.
If you agree that farmed fish deserve better, and you would like to help us in our mission, follow us on our social media channels, subscribe to our newsletter or make a donation.
Written by Dylan Holmes Cowan.
