Date: Mon, Aug 23, 2021, 4:30 PM
Subject: Death tolls by the ton
To:
Did you know that fish are killed in such enormous numbers that they are measured by the ton? Let that sink in for a second. Lives lost are reduced down to their body weight. Billions and billions of aquatic creatures are raised and slaughtered to meet the demand for fish and seafood, and this number continues to grow every day. The projections for the next few years are staggering: A 2014 study estimated that in 2050 the world will eat 82 percent more fish than today. Where will all these fish come from? It's estimated that by that time, the ocean will be completely depleted of fish. So to support the unsustainable demand, the industry is resorting to unregulated and merciless intensive farming. In fact, industrialized fish farming already exceeds wild-caught fishing operations. There is no federal law in the US that protects fish welfare, and they suffer from rampant abuse in the industry. Because they are excluded from the Humane Slaughter Act, aquatic animals are left to slowly suffocate out of water or are mutilated while fully conscious. But it's not just the way they die that's ruthless. Fish in factory farms are condemned to a miserable life in tiny, overcrowded and parasite-infested tanks, unable to express any of their natural behaviors. They are subjected to cruel processes, such as "milking," where eggs are literally squeezed out of female fish by hand, causing them excruciating pain and severe trauma. Fish are incredibly sensitive animals and it's unacceptable that this violence continues to go on unchecked. Animal Equality works to build a future of respect and protection for aquatic animals by making the public aware of their suffering and advocating for their legal protection. This is why our brave investigators go undercover and publish videos showing their painful experiences, as you saw in the footage of the Mississippi catfish slaughterhouse released last week.
It's long overdue for the fishing industry to be held accountable for the suffering it's forcing upon animals. We won't give up until these amazing animals are afforded the protections that they deserve as living, feeling beings. Thank you for defending fish,
P.S. Liz, Animal Equality is committed to exposing cruelty in the fish industry. Please look out for an email from Sean, our Director of Investigations, later this week to learn why going undercover is so difficult and dangerous, especially in the United States.
Animal Equality |
