Marine life is far from a Disney movie: It's time to give fish free fins

Young people speak out against animal cruelty

At the gala premiere of The Little Mermaid in May, we gathered as a group of young activists who refuse to be silenced. With our bodies covered in symbolic blood and using makeup to look like fish, we took up a circle in front of the Imperial in Copenhagen - to demonstrate against the brutal animal cruelty, pollution and climate impact that takes place every year in giant net cages in Danish waters. We at Dyrenes Alliance demand justice for fish and the closure of Danish fish farms.

When Danes around the country go to the movies these days to see Disney's new version of The Little Mermaid, they will be mesmerized by the beauty and magic of the sea. A wondrous world beneath the surface with playful crabs, happy fish and beautiful mermaids. But this is far from the reality of life for fish in Danish fish farms.

All animals must be treated properly

According to section 3 of the Animal Welfare Act, anyone who keeps animals must ensure that they are treated with care - including that they are "housed, fed, watered and cared for taking into account their physiological, behavioral and health needs". This is in stark contrast to the conditions that fish live under in Danish aquaculture. 

Aquaculture can be described as the marine equivalent of farming, where fish are raised in large cages of nets placed in the ocean. Here, millions of individuals are mistreated and deprived of their basic rights. In Danish aquaculture, fish are squashed together, plagued by stress and disease, without ever being able to swim freely. Their natural behavior is suppressed in captivity, and their standard of living is far from the idyllic existence we see portrayed in Disney movies.

Did you know that...

... discrimination based on species is called "speciesism"? Learn more about speciesism here.

Because fish look different from us - they have scales instead of skin, and gills instead of lungs - fish are often misunderstood and are particularly vulnerable to animal cruelty. Despite the scientific consensus that fish - like cats, pigs and humans - are capable of feeling joy, pain and sadness. Often living in complex social groups, fish develop deep personal relationships and experience pain and fear when injured. They show affection by rubbing against each other and communicate with low-frequency sounds. These creatures are as entitled to freedom and basic rights as any other living being on this planet. 

It's not just the fish - it's our planet too

Not only are we causing millions of fish to suffer and depriving them of their freedom, aquaculture has tragic consequences for the environment. The 19 Danish fish farms expose our oceans to a toxic cocktail of chemicals. Tons of copper sulphate, antibiotics and formalin are dumped directly into our oceans without any possibility of cleaning the water - with disastrous consequences for the marine environment in the form of oxygen depletion, sedimentation and fish kills. Politicians stand by the industry, which repeatedly violates legislation and treats the ocean like a garbage can. 

Closing down aquaculture would be in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the world's oceans, seas and marine resources - including preventing and significantly reducing pollution, including marine litter and nutrient pollution, by 2025. The ocean is the lungs of the Earth and plays an important role in storing carbon on the ocean floor, absorbing around 30 percent of the CO2 produced by humans. When aquaculture disturbs marine ecosystems, it can disrupt these processes. Protecting the ocean is therefore necessary to mitigate the effects of climate change. If we are ever to achieve a fair and sustainable future, it must be without aquaculture. 

Life in the sea is far from a Disney movie. Instead of Sebastian the crab and Dumbledore the fish, our Danish waters are filled with suffering. Let the magic of The Little Mermaid movie inspire and serve as a reminder of our responsibility to protect the ocean and its inhabitants. It's time to give the fish free fins. Together, let's create ripples and spread the word so we can shut down Danish fish farms.