Respect for Fish Day

Fishing Harms Everyone

The Problem

Fish are the most abused animals on the planet, yet their suffering remains the most overlooked. Often unseen and misunderstood, fishing causes significant harm to fish, other aquatic animals, and the planet.Fish are the most commonly farmed animals on the planet. Farmed fish are confined in overcrowded ponds or in underwater cages in natural bodies of water. Farmed fish are genetically selected to grow much faster than their wild counterparts, which weakens their immune systems and makes them susceptible to health problems including deafness and bent spines.

The so-called alternative to farmed fish that's often promoted, "wild-caught," is also inherently cruel. Fish feel pain, and they suffer horrendously when they are impaled with fishing hooks, caught in nets, and pulled out of the water (akin to humans being drowned), frozen to death, or butchered while fully conscious.

Who Does Fishing Harm?

Fish farming harms everyone. Nets strangle sea turtles and get caught around the necks of seals, algal blooms create dead zones and suffocate fish, and antibiotics and chemicals pollute the ocean, on top of endless individual suffering. Eating fish also starves animals who rely on them to live, such as orca and seabirds. These are just a few of the many ways that fishing hurts not only fish, but other marine animals and the environment as well.

What Is Respect For Fish Day?

In Defense of Animals established Respect For Fish Day in 2020 to stimulate awareness of fish suffering and action to end it. Annual days of action have centered around the “pet” trade, fishing contests and glorified killing, and ghost gear. In 2026, we draw attention to one of the most denigrated, misrepresented and threatened marine animals: sharks.

In 2026, we draw attention to one of the most denigrated, misrepresented, and threatened marine animals: sharks.

In 2025, we held outreach events in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area to speak up for fish to raise awareness about the horrific mass killing practice known as "bottom trawling".
In 2024, we advocated for all aquatic animals at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. We partnered with Fish Feel, the Paul Watson Foundation, and other advocacy organizations for Fish Tales.
In 2023, we made the connection between humans and farmed fish with the help of mermaids and mermen and a fishless taco giveaway in Santa Monica, exposing fish farming as an industry that takes billions of animal lives per year.

What Can I Do?

Choose not to support the exploitation and killing of any aquatic animals by not eating or purchasing fish. We can all do our part and help to promote vegan fish alternatives too!

Keep fish respect going all year long by sharing on social media how you respect fish, tagging In Defense of Animals and #Respect4FishDay, and getting involved using the buttons below.

Sign our alerts to help sharks, sea turtles, rays and all aquatic animals.

See and download our fish brochures, The Planet’s Most Abused Animals Can’t Run or Scream, and Adopt Don’t Shop.

For whales and dolphins, follow our Cetaceans campaign too!