Young people take a stand against animal abuse
At the gala premiere of The Little Mermaid in May, we gathered a group of young activists who refuse to stay silent. With our bodies smeared in symbolic blood and faces painted like fish, we formed a circle outside Imperial in Copenhagen—protesting the brutal animal abuse, pollution, and climate damagethat happens every year in massive net cages in Danish waters. We at Dyrenes Alliance demand justice for fish and the closure of Danish sea farms.
As Danes nationwide head to cinemas these days to watch Disney’s new version of The Little Mermaid, they’ll be enchanted by the sea’s beauty and magic. A wondrous world beneath the surface with playful crabs, joyful fish, and beautiful mermaids. But this is far from the reality of fish lives in Danish sea farms.
All animals deserve proper treatment
According to Animal Welfare Law section 3, anyone keeping animals must ensure they are treated with care—including being “housed, fed, watered, and tended to with regard for their physiological, behavioral, and health needs.” This stands in stark contrast to the conditions fish endure in Danish sea farms.
Sea farms are like farming on the sea, where fish are raised in large net cages placed in the ocean. Millions of individuals suffer abuse and are denied their basic rights. In Danish sea farms, fish are crammed together, tormented by stress and disease, and never swim freely. Their natural behaviors are suppressed in captivity, and their living conditions are a far cry from the idyllic life portrayed in Disney films.
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—they’re often misunderstood and especially vulnerable to animal abuse. Despite scientific consensus that fish—like cats, pigs, and humans—can feel joy, pain, and grief. Fish often live in complex social groups, form deep personal bonds, and experience pain and fear when harmed. They express affection by rubbing against each other and communicate through low-frequency sounds. These creatures deserve freedom and fundamental rights just as any other living being on this planet.
It’s not just about the fish—but also our planet
Not only do we subject millions of fish to suffering and strip them of their freedom, sea farms have tragic environmental consequences. Denmark’s 19 sea farms release a toxic mix of chemicals into our ocean. Tons of copper sulfate, antibiotics, and formalin pour directly into the sea with no water purification—causing catastrophic effects like oxygen loss, seabed damage, and fish deaths. Politicians protect an industry repeatedly violating laws and treating the ocean like a dumping ground.
Closing sea farms aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, whose 14th goal is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and their resources—including preventing and significantly reducing pollution, such as marine debris and nutrient contamination, by 2025. The ocean is Earth’s lungs and plays a crucial role storing carbon in sediments and absorbing about 30% of human-produced CO2. Sea farms disrupt marine ecosystems and threaten these processes. Protecting the ocean is essential to mitigating climate change. A just, sustainable future demands a world without sea farms.
Life in the sea is far from a Disney movie. Instead of Sebastian the crab and Flounder the fish, our Danish waters are filled with suffering. Let the magic of The Little Mermaid inspire and remind us of our responsibility to protect the ocean and its inhabitants. It’s time to give fish free fins. Let’s create ripples together and spread the word to shut down Danish sea farms.
