NPR

Do You Care If Your Fish Dinner Was Raised Humanely? Animal Advocates Say You Should

Concerns over animal welfare have led to changes in how livestock are raised in recent years. But seafood has been missing from the conversation. One group aims to change that.
Fresh fish fillets for sale in a display case. Concerns over animal welfare have led to changes in how livestock are raised in recent years. But seafood has been missing from the conversation. One group aims to change that.

At some point or another, we've all cringed at the videos: lame cows struggling to stand; egg-laying hens squeezed into small, stacked cages; hogs confined to gestation crates, unable to walk or turn.

Over the last decade, animal advocates have made great strides informing us of some of the problems with how many of our favorite proteins are raised. They've also made progress bringing change to the industry by pressuring large-scale retailers — from Target to McDonald's — to commit to sourcing livestock raised with higher welfare standards. But one important protein source has almost entirely been missing from the conversation: seafood.

Mercy for Animals, a U.S.-based animal welfare group, says that's about to change. The group says it is beginning to lay the groundwork for a campaign that will target the aquaculture industry and shine a light on the conditions in which finfish like salmon, tilapia, catfish, trout, pangasius and other species are raised.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Justice Department Pays $138 Million Over FBI Failures In Larry Nassar Case
The DOJ settlement goes to 139 victims of Larry Nassar, the disgraced team doctor of USA Gymnastics who sexually assaulted elite and Olympic gymnasts, after the FBI failed to promptly investigate.
NPR3 min read
Tesla Profits Have Plummeted. Elon Musk Remains All-in On Robotaxis
Tesla's sales are down. It's slashing car prices and laying off staff. Yet CEO Elon Musk remains bullish on a future that's self-driving and battery-powered.
NPR5 min read
United Methodists Will Again Debate LGBTQ Clergy And Same-sex Weddings
The United Methodist Church is holding its first General Conference since the pandemic and will consider whether to change policies on several LGBTQ issues.

Related Books & Audiobooks