2022 Impact Report

With over 50% of aquatic animals, approximately 100 billion fish and 400 billion shrimp, presently derived from farms, there is global momentum to accelerate farmed production even though it is considered the fastest growing food sector. In comparison, 2 to 3 trillion wild aquatic animals are killed each year, outnumbering land animals 30:1.

Since aquatic animal welfare is both a highly neglected, and a highly tractable issue, Aquatic Life Institute is laser-focused on improving the lives of these creatures. Over the past year, Aquatic Life Institute has demonstrated its pivotal role in building the global aquatic animal welfare movement through three core pillars of work:

Coalition Building
Certifier Campaign
Global Policy Pursuits

Coalitions are a key pillar to achieving global impact, and coordinating with animal protection and conservation organizations around the world ensures that we pursue the same objective, improving the lives of aquatic animals raised for food.

Coalitions

Presentations

World Oceans Summit, virtual
EA Global London, UK
LEAD for Farmed Animals, USA
Barcelona Seafood Expo, Spain
Reducetarian Summit, USA
UN Ocean Conference, Portugal

Martin’s act celebration conference, virtual
Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions Annual Conference, virtual
EAG San Francisco, USA
Animal grant makers conference, USA
AVA summit, USA

Global seafood certifiers can act as a key lever in transforming seafood supply production. Our unique focus on engaging global certification programs can help differentiate progressive producers from those lagging behind, and influence the activities of thousands of farms, producers, seafood brands and major buyers at any given point in time.

Certifier Campaign

Aquaculture Stewardship Council: Ongoing consultations related to the development of their upcoming Farm Standard - Fish Health and Welfare

Could potentially impact 116,706,200 animals

Anticipated improvements

Presentations

IV Summer Shoal, Faro, Portugal
Faunalytics Conference, virtual
Norfishing, Norway

Global Policy Pursuits

Our policy work involves engaging the E.U., FAO, and other international organisations, participating in forums and conferences, to influence changes in policies on an international scale.

Presented at a panel at Food Systems Pavillion - Innovation in Wild Capture Fisheries
Networked with diverse stakeholders
Socialised our reports: Key Welfare Recommendations for Marine Capture Fisheries & Wild Capture Fisheries: Best Practices for Aquatic Animal Welfare
Connected with fellow advocates

COP27 achievements

Presentations

UNEA 5.2, virtual
COP27, Egypt

Events hosted

Table-ronde: Pourquoi nous avons besoin d’une l’égislation sur le bien-être des animaux aquatiques (hosted)
Banding together to ban cephalopod farming (hosted)
Animaux aquatiques et altruisme efficace (hosted)