Press Release: Youth Association Aims to Shut Down Fish Farms Forever

Jan 16

Youth Group Demands Permanent Closure of Fish Farms

The youth group Dyrenes Alliance launched their bold new campaign, Free Fins, this past Saturday at an event at Aarhus Volunteer Center. Young activists gathered to celebrate this urgent fight for fish. At the event, they unveiled their campaign goal: to shut down Denmark’s fish farms forever.

Hundreds of thousands of fish suffer abuse every year in Denmark’s 19 fish farms. In the circular net cages, these vulnerable, powerless animals are crowded together with thousands of others. They never swim freely or follow their natural instincts. Periodically, deadly viruses sweep through the tightly packed cages, causing internal bleeding, dark fins, and bulging eyes.

“Fish are sentient beings capable of feeling joy and pain, just like cats, pigs, and humans. We call on the new government to take responsibility for the disturbing conditions fish endure in Danish fish farms,” says Victoria Santos, chairperson of Dyrenes Alliance.

Toxic to the Ocean

In Denmark, we treat the ocean like a dumping ground. Fish farms poison the sea with massive amounts of chemicals, leftover feed, waste, and drug residues. The environmental damage is catastrophic, causing oxygen depletion, seabed degradation, and fish kills.

Denmark’s fish farms have sparked numerous scandals. Escape incidents happen regularly. In November alone, 70,000 rainbow trout escaped from Musholm Fish Farm, severely damaging the surrounding marine ecosystem.

Dyrenes Alliance is an activist youth group with 16 local chapters across Denmark. Since 2008, they have fought relentlessly for a just world for animals.