Tell us a bit about Aquatic Life Institute and its main battles.

The Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) operates from effective altruism principles to support and accelerate activities that positively impact aquatic life. We unite and strengthen other nonprofits with the common goal of reducing fish suffering. We work to optimize impact and create a cohesive, multi-pronged movement toward elevating fish welfare by serving as a hub for coalition-building and structuring advocacy initiatives off of the best research. We also spread our EA-aligned strategy and bring nonprofits and activists together under a common blueprint for increased welfare, laying a strong foundation for the fish welfare movement in the years to come.

The Aquatic Life Institute’s Certifier Campaign’s main objective is to improve and to hold aquatic product certifier standards accountable: fish products labeled as “sustainable” or “responsible” should and must include the most robust animal welfare considerations. We will engage aquatic product certifiers around the world to ensure the highest welfare standards possible for aquatic animals. Our moonshot goal is to see the entire global seafood market follow welfare guidelines by 2030. 

ALI coordinates several international multi-stakeholder coalitions on two specific topics:

• The Aquatic Animal Alliance (AAA) is a coalition of over 40 organisations that collaborates with certifiers, such as Global G.A.P., BAP, ASC, and Friend of the Sea, towards the inclusion of animal welfare standards in their certification schemes (front-of-pack labeling and business-to-business transparency practices). 
• The Coalition for Aquatic Conservation (CAC) is a coalition of over 40 organizations, which unites ocean conservation experts and organisations with aquatic animal welfare to promote compassionate conservation. More specifically, the CAC is working on formulating Key Aquatic Animal Welfare Recommendations for Capture Fisheries. 

In which countries is the Aquatic Life Institute present?

Aquatic Life Institute is headquartered in New York, USA, with an European office in Paris, France. Towards our AAA coalition, we develop our campaigns in 35 countries.

What about you? Tell us a bit more about your role within Aquatic Life Institute and why you joined.

I co founded the French animal rights PAZ in 2015 and we banned wild animals in circuses in Paris. 

I’m the Head of ALI Europe. I’m in charge of developing policy and legislative opportunities in France and in Europe to improve aquatic animals’ lives. I collaborate and find synergies with other European organizations.

I’m convinced that aquatic animals should be a priority and the coalition-building strategy can be very effective. I also share the effective altruism vision. That’s why I’m happy to be a part of ALI.

When did the Aquatic Life Institute join Eurogroup for Animals and why?

We joined Eurogroup for Animals in 2020. Coalition-building is one of our pillars. We believe through coordinated and collaborative work, we achieve more for aquatic animals.

What are Aquatic Life Institute's main achievements this year?

Certifier GLOBALG.A.P. releases an updated draft of its welfare standards with significant improvements in response to AAA’s feedback.

Thanks to our research department, we’re the first organisation to propose a species specific environmental enrichment table that we sent to the French government and in our European Commission feedbacks.

To discover more about our achievements, visit our website.

How can the public act for Aquatic Life Institute? 

The public can act for ALI by:

• Following us on social media and sharing posts (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin),
• Sign online campaigns we coordinate,
• Volunteer,
• Educate others about fish sentience, and demand welfare considerations from the seafood industry,
• Of course, donations (or shopping in our online store) helps too!

Word to live by / Inspiring quote you like

If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King Jr