Sign Up
About Us
Support us
Compassion calls on EU lawmakers to improve fish welfare during transit
Published 4/29/2025
MEPs have the chance to improve conditions for up to 1.3 billion fish and other aquatic animals.
Compassion in World Farming is today (29 April 2025) urging supporters to ask Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to vote to improve transport conditions for fish and other aquatic animals in the Fisheries committee in the European Parliament.
The animal welfare and environmental NGO has created a new video highlighting the appalling suffering endured by the billion or so fish and other aquatic animals transported in the EU without legal protection each year. The length of these journeys can range from hours to days, and aquatic animals face appalling conditions such as overcrowding, dirty water, high temperatures, poor handling, starvation, and being transported out of water, leaving them to suffocate. Some may even die during transit.
Citizens across are urged to share it across social media, tagging MEPs ahead of an upcoming crucial vote.
In 2023 the European Commission published a proposal on the protection of animals during transport, which is currently being reviewed by the European Parliament and Council. In the coming months, the Fisheries committee will vote on the EU Animal Transport Regulation, and Compassion encourages MEPs to vote to include specific laws to protect the welfare of farmed fish and other aquatic animals, such as crabs, during transit.
9 out of ten people across the EU believe the welfare of fish should be protected to at least the same extent as other farmed animals, according to a 2024 survey jointly commissioned by Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming.
Vinciane Patelou, Head of EU at Compassion in World Farming, said:
"Fish are sentient beings - capable of feeling pain, joy and sadness - but the EU has neglected them for years and failed to protect them through species-specific laws.
“MEPs now have the chance to change that by backing the EU Animal Transport Regulation, which finally provides an opportunity to improve the welfare of these sentient animals across the EU.”
