In this exclusive interview, hear the Chief Executive of Animal Equality UK – Abigail Penny – recount the ups and downs of her fight for farmed fish.
Q: Why did Animal Equality UK choose to focus on farmed fish?
Answer: In the UK, up to 77 million fish are farmed and slaughtered for consumption each year. The majority of those animals are Atlantic salmon.
These migratory fish can swim hundreds of miles in the wild, but they are forced to live in crowded underwater cages, which act as hot spots for lice infestations and disease outbreaks. Millions of people die before being slaughtered, and for those who do, there are so few legal protections in place that they face the very real prospect of being beaten to death or suffocated. breathe slowly.
Q: Fish are perhaps one of the least understood animals on the planet. Why do you think so and how can we increase our empathy for suffering fish?
A: Fish are one of the most neglected animals on the planet and also severely misunderstood. The overwhelming scientific consensus and much expert evidence demonstrate that these animals feel pain and can endure it. Our mission is to protect those trapped in this cruel system, hold the aquaculture industry accountable for its crimes, and fight for future generations of fish.
Just like any other animal, killing fish is brutal and bloody. In the UK, our investigations found that farmed fish were bludgeoned to death, had their gills cut off while conscious and bled while still alive. These horrific scenes have struck a chord with the British public – an animal-loving nation – and we are seeing a backlash against the fish farming industry due to our practices.
As our campaign continues to gain momentum and attracted widespread media attention–was introduced in Guard, Times, BBC Country Profile, Mirror and what’s more – empathy towards these animals is also growing rapidly. Millions of people have seen the videos we share showing the plight of farmed fish.
No one enjoys seeing fish eaten raw by lice or with red wounds, and we’re happy to see many people are boycotting fish products as a sign of consumer protest.
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Q: Animal Equality in the UK has conducted several investigations into the fishing industry. Is there anything in particular that stands out to you? Why?
A: Having personally visited Scotland to expose the horrors that go on in these fish factories, I am incredibly proud of the consistently innovative and pioneering approach our team takes present in investigation work.
Using drones, we have captured evidence of farmed salmon and steelhead suffering extreme pain on Scottish slaughter vessels at accredited farms. Some fish suffocated in an empty barrel; many went backwards into the stun machine, while others were violently thrown overboard by workers. These moments of chaos are emblematic of an industry that is poorly monitored and poorly regulated.
Q: If you could share just one fact about the fishing industry with our audience, what would it be?
A: When we imagine Atlantic salmon, we often picture them bravely swimming upstream, their silver scales glistening in the sunlight. In fact, the farmed fish meat sold in British supermarkets comes mostly from fish factories, and this has been the case since 1982. These nightmare facilities trap migratory animals naturally in crowded underwater cages, acting as a breeding ground for lice and disease. outbreak.
The farmed salmon industry is well aware that the negative connotations associated with intensive farming are damaging their brand image, so, in a particularly outrageous move, the industry is now trying to erase The word ‘raised’ is removed from the label. The Animal Equality Authority is fighting hard against this out of concern that it will inevitably mislead consumers.
What many people don’t know about is the so-called ‘cleaner fish’. These sweet animals are being exploited in the most cruel ways by the livestock industry. In nature, ‘clean fish’ – lumpfish and anglerfish – have a symbiotic relationship with salmon; they will eat any lice on the salmon and in return, the salmon will not eat them. The aquaculture industry abuses this natural relationship, with most major salmon producers confining millions of ‘clean fish’ in fish farms; however, the lice infestation was so widespread that the animals were unable to contain the outbreak and over time many were eaten by salmon and had nowhere to escape. This is an industry that goes to great lengths to make a profit, and in return these animals pay the highest price.
Q: How has the fishing industry avoided responsibility for rising mortality rates?
A: Thanks to the presentation of Animal Equality and our fellow activists in the UK, we revealed that 16.7 million fish died on farms in 2022; Tragically, the 2023 figure has surpassed this, with more than 17 million salmon deaths reported on Scottish farms. The data marks the highest death rate ever recorded in the UK.
Tensions are also rising thanks to the work of Animal Equality. Members of the Scottish Parliament have demanded an investigation into the industry and prominent conservationist Chris Packham has called on consumers to boycott salmon products. Because of the failure to contain this serious problem, companies are experiencing declining revenues and investors are rightly becoming increasingly concerned.
These giant companies have the audacity to play the victim, but it is the aquatic animals that are the real victims. Millions of farmed fish are dying every month under their watch, paying for the company’s staggering failure with their lives.
Animal Equality’s presentations continue to prove vital in encouraging the public to reduce or eliminate meat and fish from their diets, mobilizing them to take action and call on the UK Government Use your power to legislate rationally.
Q: This January, you met for the second time in the UK Parliament for a roundtable discussion with retailers, industry experts, lawyers and animal advocates. What are your top needs and how are they received?
A: When I entered Congress, I reminded myself that I was here on behalf of the millions of aquatic animals currently trapped in floating farms. I spoke passionately and proudly about the findings of our investigation, about the need to strengthen oversight and regulation of the aquaculture industry and enact species-specific legislation for fish reared at the time of slaughter.
Based on science-based recommendations, we are calling for mandatory installation of CCTV cameras at fish slaughterhouses, mandatory stunning, increased penalties for those found violating regulations, and Improve transparency when there are fish deaths at the farm. Our demands have been heard clearly by the influential politicians and decision makers in the room and we continue to meet with them regularly to ensure that our demands are followed by the law France.
