A Heartfelt Plea for Compassion and Change.
Fish, like all living beings, deserve our compassion and empathy. Yet, the fishery industry subjects them to unimaginable suffering that is often hidden from public view. It’s time to expose the cruelty within this industry and make kinder, more ethical choices.
Imagine being crammed into an overcrowded tank, struggling to breathe in polluted water filled with waste. This is the daily reality for fish in factory farms. They endure disease and parasites in these filthy conditions, and when it comes time for slaughter, their suffering only intensifies. Fish are often suffocated, frozen, or cut open while still conscious, experiencing every moment of their pain. Picture the fear and agony they must feel, unable to escape or find relief.
Current Industry Status
As of 2024, India is the third-largest fish producer in the world and ranks second in aquaculture, also being a top shrimp exporter. However, these numbers are achieved by the industry through immense cruelty.
An investigation was conducted to show the cruel and inhumane methods in the fishery sector. They looked at fish and shrimp farms, and fish markets in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Read below to know what they found.
Fish milking: The cruelty starts with a process called fish milking. In this process, eggs are squeezed out of female fish by hand, causing them pain and stress. The young fish are then packed in small plastic bags and sent to farms.
Unnatural environments: Intensive fish farming uses methods like artificial ponds, recirculating systems, and open sea cages. These methods create unnatural and uncomfortable environments. Thousands of fish, shrimp, and other animals are kept in small, crowded spaces. This causes stress, aggression, and injuries. Overcrowding also makes the water quality poor, giving fish less oxygen.
Use of antibiotics: At the farms, fish are given food with antibiotics to make them grow quickly. This unregulated use of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance in consumers, causing serious health problems. India is one of the top countries for antibiotic resistance.
Early & painful deaths: Carp can live up to 20 years, but those bred for food are killed within a year. Many fish are crushed by the weight of others when caught in nets and dumped into containers. When taken out of the water, fish struggle to escape. The traditional method of killing farmed fish is to let them suffocate out of water or on ice, causing a slow and painful death.
At markets, fish are sold in unhygienic conditions. They are thrown into containers and covered in ice while still conscious. Their gills are cut without prior stunning, causing them to bleed to death. They are also left to suffocate on land, which is slow and painful. Some fish, like catfish, are kept alive and slaughtered at the market.
Violation of human rights: Fish production also violates human rights. Studies show that children exposed to such cruelty become desensitized to suffering, including human suffering. This violates child labor laws.
Water use: Fish farms use a lot of water, often pumping it from rivers like Krishna, Godavari, and Kaveri. A typical one-acre pond with a five-foot depth needs over 6 million liters of water per filling. With climate change, these rivers might dry up or change course, reducing the water table in the region. Fishery and aquaculture farms need large areas of land, usually where water is plentiful. This converts fertile land into water bodies, reducing agricultural yield and threatening food security.
Though these findings have been presented to the Indian government, real change always happens through the change in our demand!
Environmental Impact
The environmental damage caused by industrial fishing and fish farming is severe. Overfishing depletes fish populations, pushing many species to the brink of extinction. The waste from fish farms pollutes our oceans, harming other marine life and ecosystems. Escaped farmed fish spread disease to wild populations and disrupt natural habitats, causing further harm to our planet.
Once teeming with life, our oceans are becoming barren and polluted, all because of our insatiable demand for seafood.
Health
To understand the health effects of consuming marine life, we must first understand bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in the tissues of an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance faster than it can be lost or eliminated by catabolism and excretion.
Microplastics are one of the substances that bioaccumulate in marine life. Old, abandoned, or broken fishnets release significant amounts of microplastics. They are then ingested by marine life and accumulate over time.
Biomagnification is the increase in concentration of a substance, e.g. a pesticide, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain. The substances become increasingly concentrated in tissues or internal organs as they move up the chain. Humans often occupy the top of the food chain and are exposed to biomagnified toxins through the consumption of fish, meat, and dairy products.
Mercury, lead, cadmium, PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls), pesticides like DDT, etc. are toxins that are subject to biomagnification. The higher up the organism that we eat is in the food chain, the more toxins we consume.
Mercury affects the nervous system and can lead to tremors, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and impaired coordination.
PCBs and dioxins increase the risk of cancer and weaken the immune system.
DDT and other pesticides interfere with hormone function and cognitive function.
Lead causes neurological and kidney damage
Cadmium weakens bones and is associated with lung cancer.
Omega-3
Many people believe they need to eat fish for omega-3 fatty acids, but this is a myth. Plant-based sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts provide all the omega-3s our bodies need. By choosing these alternatives, we can nourish ourselves without causing harm to fish. Doctors increasingly recommend plant-based omega-3s, recognizing their health benefits and the ethical implications of consuming fish. We don’t need to cause suffering to be healthy.
Moreover, note that fish do not produce omega-3. It is produced by algae. Fish get their omega-3 by consuming algae. There are supplements available that extract omega-3 directly from algae. But we recommend eating crushed flaxseeds.
Increasing Demand and Suffering
Increasing Demand and Suffering: As the human population grows, so does the demand for fish. This insatiable hunger leads to more fish being caught and farmed in cruel conditions. We must remember that these fish are not just food; but living beings who feel fear and pain. Every fish on our plate has suffered immensely, and we have the power to stop this cruelty. Imagine the terror of being hunted and captured, of being trapped in a net with no escape, and then being killed brutally. This is the reality for billions of fish every year.
A Call for Change
We must open our hearts to the suffering of fish and choose compassion over cruelty. By opting for plant-based diets, we can reduce the demand for fish and help end their suffering. Our choices can protect marine life and preserve the beauty of our oceans. Fish deserve to live free from pain and fear, just as we do.
Embracing a vegan lifestyle is a powerful way to show empathy and compassion for all animals, including fish. A vegan diet eliminates the need for fish and other animal products, significantly reducing the demand for cruel and unethical farming practices. Plant-based diets are not only kinder to animals but also beneficial for our health and the environment. By choosing vegan options, we support a more sustainable and humane food system. Imagine a world where our food choices don’t cause suffering, but promote kindness and compassion.