#Act4 Aquatics Painful slaughter practices, overcrowded cages and high mortality rates: a new investigation by Eurogroup for Animals’ member Essere Animali shows serious animal welfare issues on fish farms in Greece, the EU’s main producer of sea bass and sea bream. Terrible suffering and high mortalities: dramatic conditions on fish farms in Greece 11 May 2021 Essere Animali
#Act4 Aquatics Although cephalopods such as octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus, and decapod crustaceans such as lobster, crab, and crayfish are capable of feeling pain and suffering, they are still not legally protected in Scotland. One Kind launched a campaign for cephalopods and decapod crustaceans protection 15 April 2021 OneKind
#Act4 Aquatics The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee (PECH) is currently considering initiating a so-called own-initiative report on fish welfare in aquaculture. If the initiative goes ahead, it will mean the European Parliament taking a formal position on a range of fish welfare issues and related policy. With upcoming Commission initiatives and the rising awareness of consumers, this could be the crucial move to put fish welfare high on the EU’s agenda during a critical time to finally tackle the welfare issues of this long overlooked group of farmed animals. Will the European Parliament finally put fish welfare high on the EU’s agenda? 4 March 2021
#Act4 Aquatics Eurogroup for Animals' member organisation Animal Equality has released undercover footage from a slaughter facility operated by The Scottish Salmon Company, a supplier of major supermarkets. The footage sheds light on how farmed salmon are killed and is the first of its kind to be released in the UK. The investigation has made several extremely serious animal welfare abuses public, including a significant number of fish who were killed while fully conscious. New investigation shows fish killed while fully conscious in Scottish salmon slaughterhouse 15 February 2021 Animal Equality
#Act4 Aquatics Last week, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) voted on the new Fisheries Control Regulation which gives powers to monitor fishing activities and which - for the first time - makes reference to animal welfare. Setting animal welfare as one of the reasons behind legal requirements in fisheries marks an important landmark for fish welfare as it comes 12 years after the commitment to pursue animal welfare through fisheries regulation. PECH Committee sets fish welfare as firm part of the new Fisheries Control System 11 February 2021
#Act4 Aquatics On Thursday 21 January, the European Parliament adopted the own-initiative report “More fish in the seas?” by French MEP Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA). In this report, the European Parliament calls for strong measures to protect not only the oceans but also the welfare of wild-caught fish. European Parliament takes a strong stance to protect the welfare of wild-caught fish 25 January 2021
#Act4 Aquatics Every year, somewhere around one trillion wild fish are captured, with a significant majority being killed for food. Even with this conservative estimate, this far outnumbers any animal farmed for food, and yet despite scientific evidence that fish are sentient - i.e. have the capacity to suffer fear, pain or distress as well as a sense of well-being - public concern and consumer awareness about fish and their welfare is far behind that of other farmed animals. Eurogroup for Animals launches report on fish welfare in wild capture fisheries 11 January 2021
#Act4 Aquatics Together with global experts including Eurogroup for Animals’ members Animal Equality, Compassion in World Farming, Dyrevernalliansen and Essere Animali, The Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) published a guide to improving welfare for farmed aquatic animals. The Aquatic Life Institute publishes new guide on fish welfare 10 December 2020
#Act4 Aquatics Fish farming (also known as ‘aquaculture’) has increased in recent decades, and so has the concern about welfare issues that result from keeping fish in crowded pens and subjecting them to procedures that cause pain and stress, not unlike other farmed animals. Canada’s first-ever Code of Practice for fish is open for public comment 27 November 2020 WAP
#Act4 Aquatics New models of coral reefs show how fish species communicate with one another. The findings may well help save these threatened ecosystems. New research suggests that fish form social networks 12 October 2020
#Act4 Aquatics According to a recent report, no other animal farming uses less antibiotics than Norwegian aquaculture: In 2019, Norwegian salmon farms have near eliminated the use of antibiotics. Norwegian salmon farming sees continued drop in antibiotics use 12 October 2020
#Act4 Aquatics The Netherlands must pay much more attention to the welfare of fish when caught and when killed say Dutch animal advocates. In a joint letter, Eurogroup for Animals' members Dierenbescherming, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and Vissenbescherming, together with many other animal welfare organisations, call on Members of the Dutch House of Representatives to place fish welfare at the heart of fisheries policy. Dutch animal NGOs call on Parliament for better fish protection 12 October 2020 Dierenbescherming