March 28: 10th World Day for the End of Fishing and Aquaculture Farms
Aquatic animals make up the largest number of animals killed by humans each year. It is estimated that tens of trillions of individuals, including fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, are killed annually, counting those caught in seas and rivers as well as those raised on farms. In this tenth edition of the World Day for the End of Fishing and Aquaculture Farms, we want to pause and reflect on this reality and share with you everything we have prepared for this day.
This year we are marking March 28 with several activities
For English-speaking audiences, we are publishing an interview with Mart Gross, Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Toronto. The professor is one of the speakers in our documentary Seantience, where he discusses evolutionary biology, fish behavior, and sentience. You can watch the interview with Mart Gross on YouTube.
For Spanish-speaking audiences, we are publishing the report Sentience in decapod crustaceans: Scientific aspects and ethical implications. You can read and download it at seantience.org/es and also on the Ética Animal website. Decapod crustaceans (such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and their relatives) are among the most exploited and least considered animals on the planet. This report brings together the most recent scientific evidence on their capacity to feel and analyzes the ethical implications that follow from it.
For Portuguese-speaking audiences, we held a YouTube livestream in which we presented this same report on decapod sentience. If you missed it, you can watch it on our channel. The report is also available in Portuguese to download here.
The documentary Seantience
We also encourage you to contribute on this day in a very simple way: get together with friends to watch the documentary Seantience, share it on your social media, or link to it from your website or blog.
And if you want to reach more people, we encourage you to organize a public screening in your area. Contact us if you need help with promotion at [email protected].
The documentary explores the sentience of aquatic animals through the testimony of internationally recognized researchers. It was selected at the SUNCINE International Environmental Film Festival, at the special edition of the 4th Vegan Çiftlik International Short Film Festival, and at the FAUNA Tepoztlán Animal Festival 2025 (Official Selection), and was awarded the prize for best cinematography at the International Animal and Environmental Film Festival (FICAA).
It is available in Spanish and English at seantience.org.
Why this day matters
The scale of the harm caused to aquatic animals by fishing and aquaculture is difficult to comprehend. We are talking about tens of trillions of sentient individuals per year, the vast majority of whom die under conditions of enormous suffering. Yet these animals remain invisible in ethical debate and in public policy.
Recognizing that fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods are sentient is the first step toward a world in which their interests are taken into account. The solution does not lie in more “sustainable” fishing or more “ecological” aquaculture, but in a profound shift that brings an end to the exploitation of these animals.
On this day, and every day, we raise our voices for them.