Fish on Factory Farms So Stressed and Depressed They 'Give Up On Life'
A Fish Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Joe Loria, Mercy for Animals (MFA)
June 2016

farmed fish

A new study by Royal Society Open Science reveals that farmed fish suffer from severe depression.

Salmon who appear to have given up and float lifelessly are known as “drop outs.”

According to Seeker.com, Marco Vindas, the study’s lead author and a biologist at the University of Gothenburg, told Discovery News:

I would not go so far as to say they are committing suicide, but physiologically speaking, they are on the edge of what they can tolerate, and since they remain in this environment, they end up dying because of their condition.

Scientists measured significantly higher levels of cortisol, a stress-response hormone, in the drop-out salmon. They also observed increased activity in the serotonergic system, a key regulator of sleep, respiration, and mood. Studies of humans suffering from poverty and other socioeconomic hardships reveal similar findings.

farm raised salmon
A healthy farm-raised Atlantic salmon is pictured above a growth-stunted drop-out salmon. Photo by Ole Folkedal

Farm-raised fish live in crowded tanks where they often face aggression and a battle for food. They must also endure constant changes in lighting, water depth, currents, and more.

Like pigs, cows, and chickens, fish raised on factory farms suffer immensely. You can help spare fish from these inhumane conditions by switching to a compassionate vegan diet.

Return to Fishes