A Message From Fish: ‘I’m ME, Not MEAT!’
Just in time for the Aquaculture Awards 2019, PETA has placed an advert near Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth – the venue for the awards dinner – reminding everyone that fish are individuals, not food.
These awards – a huge event for major players in the Scottish salmon-farming industry – are an ideal opportunity to remind everyone that just like all other animals, fish feel pain and fear, have unique personalities, and value their own lives.
In 2018, Scottish Salmon Watch documented extreme cruelty to salmon on farms in Scotland, revealing the abysmal conditions endured by the animals, many of whom suffered from a variety of diseases, infections, and injuries resulting from their unnatural confinement. Farmers use chemicals to deal with lice infestations and risk killing the salmon by “shocking” the lice in baths of warm water.
An investigation of The Scottish Salmon Company’s farms in Loch Fyne found worms and beetles crawling over the rotten, maggot-infested bodies of dead fish.
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And the salmon killed by this industry aren’t its only victims.
Scottish salmon farmers shoot seals to protect their profits. Seals are supposed to be protected under UK law, but salmon farmers in Scotland can get a special licence that makes it legal for them to shoot and kill these animals.
Environmental Concerns
The Scottish Parliament’s environment committee recently concluded that Scotland’s marine ecosystem faces “irrecoverable damage” caused by salmon farming – which pollutes waterways with concentrated waste and spreads sea lice from farmed fish to salmon in their natural habitat – if environmental concerns associated with the industry aren’t addressed.
Keep Fish Off Your Plate
By leaving fish off the menu, we can save the lives of countless animals and take a stand against an environmentally destructive global industry that harms millions of sentient beings every day. You can start by ordering our free vegan starter kit, which is packed full of recipes, tips, and advice, including information on plant-based nutrition and ideas for quick and tasty vegan meals.
Check out our guide to the best vegan fish products available in the UK, and if you’re heading to the seaside this summer, take a look at the top vegan fish and chip spots here.
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Havva Zorlu / We Animals Media