Fish are the planet’s most widely abused animals, with trillions killed on factory farms, for blood sports, and the pet trade every year. Despite these shocking numbers and widespread suffering, the majority of people completely disregard the pain and experiences of fish. We are launching a day of action called Respect for Fish Day to give these silent victims a voice. On August 1, 2020, activists from across the nation will organize events to raise awareness about the plight of fish. These unique and wonderful beings have been forgotten for too long, and their time has come!

The majority of animals imprisoned on factory farms are fish. Eighty billion farmed fish are slaughtered annually and spend their lives living in putrid water, which makes them blind, infected with parasites, and deformed. Fish aren’t covered by humane slaughter laws and are killed in barbaric ways, such as being stabbed or frozen to death. In addition to farmed fish, trillions of wild fish are killed, and most die from slow suffocation. 

Wild fish are also subjected to the cruelty of sport fishing. They are stabbed with hooks and often die from sustained injuries even if they are released. Many of these individuals suffer from an agonizing condition which causes their stomachs to expel from their mouths due to decompression. If a dog or cat was subjected to this abuse, it would be a felony in many states, but nearly all states exempt “standard fishing practices” from their animal cruelty laws. 

The pet trade is another cesspool of fish suffering. Millions of fish are bred in the underwater equivalent of puppy mills or captured from the wild and sold in pet stores. Most die from improper care shortly after being purchased. Fish aren’t covered by animal abuse laws in many states, but even when they are, cruelty cases are rarely prosecuted. Fish are also increasingly used for experimentation in laboratories, where they are intentionally bred with genetic defects and afflicted with chronic diseases. 

What You Can Do

Please join us in working to end this unacceptable animal exploitation by joining us for Respect for Fish Day. If you are interested in organizing an event, please contact fish@idausa.org or fill out this form to receive an information packet. We are ready to assist you with guidance, media outreach, and covering event costs. Examples of events you can organize include:

• Presentations on fish protection topics
• Library exhibits
• Protests at pet stores, fishing tournaments, etc.
• Tabling events to educate people about fish sentience
• Giveaways of vegan fish alternatives at supermarkets or other venues

We are also open to any other ideas you may have!

If you aren’t able to organize an event, you can still support the campaign on social media or by writing a letter to the editor. For more information on how you can participate, please see our Participation Guide. 

To learn more about Respect for Fish Day and how you can help protect fish, please see our campaign brochure.