The Aquatic Life Institute will be attending COP27 in November to call on global leaders to take aquatic animals and their welfare into consideration in climate change policy discussions.

We are excited to announce a new advancement for aquatic animals: Our work in best practices in capture fisheries welfare has been endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) as part of the UN Ocean Decade Action!

Between August 23-36, one of the fishing sector’s biggest industry events took place in Trondheim, Norway. Our Head of Strategic Initiatives, Christine Xu, attended NorFishing.

Can cephalopods - octopus, cuttlefish, squid - be farmed sustainably? This seems to be the number one question asked after news surfaced regarding the establishment of Nueva Pescanova’s first commercialized octopus farm in Spain and a potential new Squid farming operation in Japan.

タコ、イカなどの頭足類は持続的な養殖ができるのかーこれは、ヌエバ・ペスカノバ社がスペインで最初の商業化されたタコ養殖場を設立し、日本で新しいイカ養殖事業の可能性があるというニュースが表面化した後、最も多く寄せられた質問のように思います。

Animal welfare issues in commercial fisheries are widespread and significant. In fact, wild-caught seafood remains the last major food-producing sector that does not take animal welfare into consideration.

Central to the oceans is a key stakeholder that no one (except for the Aquatic Life Institute) spoke about at the second UN Ocean Conference – and that’s the aquatic animals themselves.

The Aquatic Life Institute carried out a thorough evaluation of animal welfare standards for 6 of the most prominent certifications in the aquaculture industry.

The Aquatic Life Institute has been collaborating closely with Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P) for over a year on their groundbreaking welfare certification for aquaculture facilities specific to salmon, which was released today on World Oceans day.

La Aquatic Animal Alliance recientemente envió un reporte donde advierte al gobierno de las Islas Canarias en España sobre los graves riesgos ambientales que conllevaría la instalación de una granja de pulpos en el Puerto Las Palmas en la isla Gran Canaria.

The Aquatic Animal Alliance recently sent a report which warns the government of the Canary Islands in Spain about the serious environmental risks that the installation of an octopus farm in Puerto Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria would entail.

New report released by the Aquatic Life Institute identifies major welfare issues in capture fisheries and proposes key recommendations.

What happened on March 2nd at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) was a truly historic moment! The Resolution on the Nexus between Animal Welfare, Environment and Sustainable Development was passed unanimously – scoring a momentous victory for animals on a global scale.

If signed into law, this bill would have a profound impact on the millions of farmed fish that will be reared in these facilities annually, on wild populations, and on the environment and coastal communities.

The 2nd Annual Aquatic Life Conference will bring together global stakeholders from November 15 - 18 to learn and share about aquatic animal protection.

This major conference that seeks to tackle the global climate change dilemma is offering attendees food that, for the most part, appears to be sustainably sourced with many items being plant-based. “COP26 wants to be a benchmark for future events by making its food and drink options more sustainable”, says William Phelps. 80% of the food offered is locally sourced from Scotland and has been produced using environmentally sustainable methods. For example, Edinburgh’s Mara Seaweed does not require fertiliser, fresh water or soil to grow.

In an interview with freediver and captain Lauren Landers, she expresses her love for the ocean and desire to teach younger generations to protect the ocean and experience its beauty.

We know that fish are sentient beings and that they are one of the most exploited animals. We know that fish play an important role in nutrient cycles in marine ecosystems and that humans are putting fish stocks at risk of disappearing completely. We have an urgent responsibility to protect fish, so how can we get people to care?

On September 17th, the Minister of Fisheries in Gabon, the Honorable Biendi Maganga-Moussavou, shut down the Gabonese shrimp fishery. The Minister joined Gabonese fisheries inspectors, national park eco-guards, Navy sailors and the Sea Shepherd crew on board the Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker for a three-day patrol to take action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

For the first time, aquatic animal welfare becomes a key focal point in high level global policy paper on sustainable aquaculture development, endorsed by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.