Compassion in World Farming is directly appealing to EU policymakers for species-specific fish welfare laws this week, by revealing shocking investigation images alongside a giant inflatable carp during a series of actions across Brussels.

EU decision-makers were faced with a six-metre inflatable carp and undercover footage exposing the severe suffering of farmed carp in Europe for three days this week, as part of a stunt organised by Compassion in World Farming.

The roaming installation started in front of the European Council where agriculture and fisheries ministers gathered for the AGRIFISH meeting, and toured the European quarter playing footage from the organisation's latest undercover investigation, which it says exposes the urgent need for species-specific legislation to better protect the welfare of EU farmed fish and other aquatic animals.

Antoine Mackay Tifine, global campaigns manager at Compassion in World Farming, said:

As fish welfare is routinely ignored in legislation, we decided to bring our investigation directly to the people with the power to act.

Our investigation exposed the complete disregard for the welfare of farmed carp, as well as a much wider crisis: the hidden suffering of billions of fish in intensive farms all across Europe because there is no legislation to protect their welfare.

The actions kicked off on Monday 23 February in front of the Council, moved to the European Commission the following day, and finished on Wednesday 25 February in front of the European Parliament where Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) assembled for the Fisheries Committee.

Several MEPs attended – Tilly Metz, Emma Fourreau, and Sebastian Everding – watching the investigation footage and calling on the Commission to swiftly come forward with proposals to improve aquatic animal welfare standards.

Alongside the action, the organisation met with EU Commission officials responsible for aquaculture to discuss the investigation as well as its proposals for change.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please email marta.vigano@ciwf.org

Notes to Editors

Pictures from the events can be accessed here.
The full footage of the undercover investigation can be seen here.
The report of the investigation into Czech carp farming.
Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 by a British dairy farmer who became horrified at the development of intensive factory farming. Today Compassion is the leading farm animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending factory farming and achieving humane and sustainable food production. With headquarters in the UK, we have offices across Europe, in the US, China, and South Africa.

EU urged to act on fish welfare laws