The festive season is upon us, which for many people, means one very important thing — food! (Togetherness was a given.) And if you’re one of the 8 million Aussies who are eating less meat (or even cutting it out altogether) then you may be planning to incorporate more plant-based dishes into your Christmas spread. Whether you’re here for the animals, your personal health, or simply to put a twist on the old holiday classics, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our favourite festive plant-based goodies in Australia…

If you’re keen on a roast for the Christmas meal centrepiece, there are plenty of delicious plant-based options available that fit the bill! Try one of these:

Made with Plants Plant-based Meatloaf with Glaze

Vegie Delights Vegie Roast

Gardein Holiday Roast with Cranberry & Wild Rice Stuffing (before purchasing online, check your local health food shop for this one!)

Field Roast Whole Celebration Roast with Bread Stuffing & Mushroom Gravy

Field Roast Hazelnut Cranberry Roast En Croute

Field Roast Half Celebration Roast

AVS Meatless Roast stuffed with Leek, Mushroom, and Cranberry (gluten-free)
AVS Festive Chick’n Roast (gluten-free)

Fry’s Soy & Quinoa Country Roast

Need some extra gravy for your roast, stuffing, or those potatoes that might’ve hung around in the oven a tad too long? Keep one of these on hand to drizzle over anything. Or better yet, everything.

Celebrate Health Vegan Gravy
Massel Supreme Demi-Glace Instant Gravy (also available at select IGA stores!)

Massel Chicken Gravy

Essential Organic Onion Gravy Powder
Orgran Vegetable Gravy Mix
Gravox Traditional Boxed Gravy Mix

Fancy a sea-inspired dish for your holiday menu? No animals required! Check out one of these deliciously easy ingredients:

Fry’s Meat Free Tempura Battered Prawn-style Pieces
Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Smoked Salmon
Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Fish Fillet
Gardein Golden Fishless Filets
Lamyong Prawns (two packet sizes available at the Vegan Grocery store)
Lamyong Whole Fish
Lamyong Vegan Calamari
Lamyong Frozen Chunky Fish

If you’re a cheese board kind of family — we’ve got you covered. Gather ’round to sample a few of these incredible cracker-toppers and cast votes for your favourites.

Artisa plant-based cheese
The Vegan Dairy cheeses
All The Things cheeses (check here for stockists)
Sprout & Kernel cashew-based cheese

Hello Friend specialty cheeses

If you’re only here for the sweets, you’d better come prepared in your comfiest trackies. The only trouble you’ll have this Christmas is choosing just one!

Puddings & Pies

Gold Handmade Dark Chocolate & Davidson Plum Pudding

The Green Lion Sticky Date Pudding

Coles Gluten-free Fruit Mince Pies
Ancient Grains Spelt Fruit Mince Pies

Chocolate

Woolworths Plantitude Vegan Belgian Dark Chocolate Cake
Woolworths Chocolate Rum Balls
Leda Chocolate Rum Balls

Booja Booja Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Truffles

Extra Festive

Coles Peppermint Candy Canes

Gingerbread Folk Cookies and house-making kits

Vergani Vegan Christmas Cake Panettone (an Italian classic)

Finishing Touches

Woolworths Plantitude Egg-free Meringue Nests

Coles Vegan Meringue Kisses, available at select stores

Peter’s Plant-based Vanilla Ice cream :dash: this is one option, but there are heaps of wonderful dairy-free ice creams readily available at the supermarkets now

Nakula Dairy-free products: keep an eye out for the seasonal custards in Vanilla & Brandy flavours!

Soyatoo Whipped Creams in soy, coconut, or rice-based varieties

Coles Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Foster Clark’s Custard Powder (for baking :dash: just use soy or almond milk for mixing!)

As Christmas approaches, be sure to check your local Coles and Woolies for their seasonal treats :dash: their festive plant-based range grows every year!

But wait, there’s more! These products could be just what you need to bring your Christmas spread to life:

Praise Vegan Aioli

Coles Vegan Garlic Aioli

Chris’ Plant Based Spicy Capsicum Dip

Chris’ Sweet Potato & Cashew Dip

Obela Roasted Pine Nut Hommus

Obela Zesty Jalapeno Hommus

Obela Caramelised Onion Hommus

Woolworths Free from Gluten Bake at Home Rolls

Massel Stock Powders (pro tip: even the chicken & beef flavours are animal-free!)

Finally, if you’re keen to bring a little extra Christmas magic into the kitchen, here are a few of our favourite holiday recipes that are sure to impress your friends and family.

Spiced Chilli Maple Nuts — excellent for pre-dinner snacking
Christmas Peppermint Slice, a lovely gift if you can manage to part with it!
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies (Santa-approved)

Keep it up!

If all this talk about animal-friendly feasts has you feeling inspired to eat more plant-based foods in the new year, check out VegKit.com for even more ideas! You’ll find over 100 delicious recipes, plus all the support you need: the latest products, best places for eating out, nutrition tips, lifestyle advice and more. And while you’re at it, grab a copy of our FREE Veg Starter Kit — a handy resource no matter where you are in your journey with plant-based food.

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It whips. It holds peaks. It binds. It’s a 22-point word in the Official Scrabble Dictionary. And it can be transformed into everything from chocolate mousse and mayonnaise to pies, cocktails, puddings and more.

Aquafaba is the egg-free cooking craze that broke the internet (mostly in baking circles circa 2017, but still!). But aquafaba is far more than a passing foodie trend, and this game-changing ingredient has stood the test of time thanks to the incredible array of delicious food you can make with it — you’ll find some of our favourites below!

So what is aquafaba?

We don’t know who first thought to try this, but we’re sure glad they did…

Next time you open a tin of chickpeas (or any other tinned bean), don’t throw out the brine inside — once strained, it’s liquid magic!

America’s Test Kitchen says the best way to freeze aquafaba is in 1-tablespoon portions in ice cube trays. Once the bean liquid cubes are frozen solid, they can be transferred to a freezer bag for future use!

While we admit the term ‘bean brine’ isn’t hugely appealing in English, some bright spark years ago had the idea to name this miracle liquid after the Latin aqua (water) and faba (bean) — and thus a must-have (and now beautifully-named) ingredient was born.

In short, aquafaba acts as an egg replacer — think lifting, binding and volumising — and it’s pure cooking gold.

Let’s get cooking!

We hope you find inspiration in this sampling plate of some of the best aquafaba recipes we’ve come across so far.

Aren’t they just beautiful? These hearty muffins are rich with the flavour of aromatic spices and rye, cut through with bursts of juicy blackberry that have caramelised to jam at the edges. Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea — or any time.

Start baking with this recipe at Bo’s Kitchen.

“These meringues are wondrous. The snowy domes are shatteringly crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside – the way all good meringues should be.”

Find the recipe by Katrina Meynink at Good Food.

Pure, luxurious, chocolate goodness that’s light as air and sweet as a kiss. This recipe is also dairy-free, so brilliantly caters for a wide range of dietary requirements.

Tweak it as you like it with a dash of fragrant vanilla extract, a splash of mint essence, or a pinch of chilli and cinnamon for a spicy twist.

Get the recipe at The Loopy Whisk.

It’s not only in sweets that aquafaba sings. With aquafaba taking the place of eggs in Yorkshire pudding, now everyone can enjoy these golden and delicious little gravy boats. (P.S. Here’s a super simple gravy recipe for when the craving hits.)

Mel’s recipe for Yorkshire Puds can be found at A Virtual Vegan.

Find Nora’s recipe for 5-minute gravy at Nora Cooks.

This isn’t a dream: An easy, egg-free mayonnaise that doesn’t compromise on flavour. This moreish mayo is creamy, thick, tangy and just the thing for making salads and sandwiches sing.

You can find the recipe over at Minimalist Baker.

Between the tahini and aquafaba you could almost convince yourself that you’re eating a salad. (#health). But it’s so not salad. It’s very much ice-cream. Creamy, sweet, delicious ice-cream.

Discover the recipe at Marfig’s Munchies.

Is your meringue a little broken? No problem, just say you meant to do that all along and whip up an Eton Mess!

Variation: If you need to impress, why not go all out and create a meringue grazing plate? Simply arrange whole, unfilled meringue shells and fresh fruits like kiwi, berries and mango, alongside bowls of whipped coconut cream, melted dark chocolate and, go on, a handful of hundreds-and-thousands (a.k.a sprinkles or, according to our colleague who grew up in Florida, funfetti!) and you’ve got yourself one heck of a party platter.

Find this recipe, and more, at VegKit.

One of aquafaba’s defining characteristics is the way it can easily emulsify and foam. It’s this foaming quality that’s an essential component when it comes to giving traditional egg-white cocktails a plant-based twist.

Using aquafaba instead of egg in sour and fizz style cocktails not only saves an ingredient from being wasted in the kitchen — it also means vegans and people with egg allergies can enjoy it too. Here’s cheers to that!

Bring out your inner mixologist with this recipe by Todd at Honestly Yum.

Find the recipe for the beautiful little Christmas pavlovas featured at the top of this page at Like a Vegan.

Discover more

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More people than ever are exploring the delicious world of animal-friendy foods and doing good things for their health, the environment and animals.

But what happens when you’ve got cravings for cheesy pizzas, toasties and cheesecake? Well the good news is with 1 in 6 Aussies moo-ving away from dairy, the number of dairy-free options is exploding. So it’s easier than ever to have your cow-friendly cheesecake and eat it too!

We’ve tried and tested the best dairy-free cheeses out there and here some of our favourites…

BioCheese

Enter: the ultimate all-rounder. BioCheese is delicious on just about anything and amazingly, its key ingredient is coconut oil. There’s an extensive range including cheddar blocks, slices, shreds, creamy feta, parmesan, cream cheese and even halloumi!

Available at Coles, some IGAs, Woolworths, speciality shops and online (please see below).

Sheese

You can find several of the Sheese range in Woolworths stores — mozzarella shreds (pictured), mature cheddar style, Red Leicester slices and ‘cream sheese’.

Available at Woolworths, specialty shops and online (please see below).

Vegusto

This is cheese with attitude, and it’s the go-to when you’re after sharp, punchy flavours. It’s perfect in a creamy sauce, shaved over pasta, or melted into a rich, savoury fondue. With just half the fat of dairy cheese, it’s as friendly to you as it is to the cows!

Available at speciality shops and online (please see below).

AVS Organic Foods

AVS have a huge variety of tasty, dairy-free cheeses, including almond feta, cheddar, flavoured soft cheeses, parmesan and even blue cheese!

Available at speciality stores and online.

Cheezly

Weave your magic in the kitchen with seven delectable flavours of this plant-based cheese. The hard part is knowing what to make first! Whether you’ve got an appetite for golden, melted goodness on nachos, cheeseburgers or pizzas — Cheezly has a variety for just about everything (from mild mozzarella to blue-style cheese, and several in between!)

Available at speciality shops and online (please see below).

Dairy Free Down Under

Dairy Free Down Under have a huge range of products including cheddar and mozzarella shreds and slices, and even a cashew parmesan. You can find them at independent supermarkets and specialty stores, and you can also get their cheddar slices and mozzarella shreds at Costco stores nationwide! Click here to find a stockist near you.

Available at independent supermarkets and Costco.

Daiya

Impress your friends and take your favourite dishes to the next level by adding these melty, stretchy, cheesy shreds. If you’re in the mood for something quick and easy, try Daiya shreds oozing out of quesadillas or in a super creamy mac and cheese! Not only is it free from dairy, but it’s gluten-free, too.

Available at some IGAs, speciality shops and online (please see below).

Tofutti

If you’re in the mood for dessert (and still have room for it) — Tofutti ‘Better Than Cream Cheese’ is the best base for making dairy-free cheesecakes. It’s also the perfect ingredient for making cream cheese frosting and slathering on bagels. Not to mention it’s totally free from animal fat!

Available at Coles, Woolworths, some IGAs, speciality shops and online (please see below).

Show me more!

Major supermarkets are beginning to fill their fridges with more dairy-free items. Health food stores and speciality shops are another good option for finding your favourite brands and flavours of vegan cheese.

And if you haven’t quite found what you’re looking for — ask your local retailers to stock these plant-based cheeses! Businesses rely on customer feedback so it’s a great opportunity to show there’s demand for compassionate choices.

If you prefer to shop online, check out The Cruelty-Free Shop and Vegan Perfection, who deliver right to your door.

To see some more animal-friendly cooking tips and meal ideas — order your FREE Veg Starter Kit here (all recipes are plant-based and therefore, dairy-free):

Curious about calcium? Discover the facts about the calcium dairy myth…

More in this section:

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Before the mid-1940s a tooth abscess might have killed, scarlet fever was often lethal and gangrene claimed limbs as a matter of course. If three people caught pneumonia, it was likely that only two — or even one — would survive…[1]

Antibiotics are a class of antimicrobial, along with agents like antifungals and antivirals.

Then the ‘wonder drug’ penicillin came along, and suddenly the future looked entirely different. Developing antibiotics to treat bacterial infections was one of the most significant medical leaps ever taken by humanity — saving countless millions of lives.

Over time, various strains of bacteria became resistant to penicillin and many of its close relatives — but new and more powerful antibiotics were developed. This cycle continued, with medicine so far managing to stay a step ahead, although very few major new types of antibiotics have been approved for use in the last 30 years…[2][3]

A disturbing new era?

“Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective.”

— World Health Organization

‘Superbugs’ are bacteria that have become resistant to more than one antibiotic, making them more difficult to treat effectively. They are also known as multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.

WHO warns that superbug strains of bacteria that can lead to serious illness including tuberculosis, meningitis, pneumonia, salmonella and staphylococcus aureus (‘golden staph’) have already emerged around the world.

[PLUGIN type=”quotation” quote=”Never has the threat of antimicrobial resistance been more immediate and the need for solutions more urgent.” author=”Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, 2020″]

In some cases, antibacterial resistance has developed to the point that so-called ‘last resort’ antibiotics must be used to treat infections — potentially driving even further resistance and the possibility of losing access to effective antibiotics altogether.

Over-prescription and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine is contributing significantly to this problem. In fact, in October 2019 the body that advises the Australian Government on pharmaceutical medicines recommended a crackdown on repeat prescriptions for a range of antibiotics, amid fears about drug-resistant superbugs.

But antibiotics aren’t just given to humans.

Down on the farm

“[I]n an intensive chicken rearing facility if you get one or two animals that get an infection, it’s quite common for vets to decide they need to treat all the chickens in the facility just in case it has already spread to others that are not noticeably sick.”
— Professor Christopher Thomas, Birmingham University

Globally, a large proportion of all antibiotics produced is given to farmed animals — to treat illnesses; as a preventive measure, especially when high numbers of animals are kept in close confinement; and to make them grow faster and bigger.[4]

WHO says this increases the risk of resistant bacteria developing in animals and crossing over to cause infections in people.

While it’s difficult to directly compare the quantity of antibiotic drugs given to farmed animals with that used in human medicine — because of differences in population, usage and dosages — there’s evidence that a greater volume is used in animal agriculture.[5]

Tamara Kenneally Photography.

Using antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in the EU since 2006 but is still common in the US, Australia and elsewhere in the world.[6]

Most concerning is when animals raised for food are treated with drugs considered ‘critically important’ to human health, like later-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.[7]

Cephalosporins are a class of antibiotic, sometimes grouped into “generations” by their chronological development (usually in response to bacterial resistance ^[8]) and antimicrobial properties. Third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins are listed by the WHO as ‘critically important’ to human health.^[9]

Worryingly, many of these drugs are regularly used in animal agriculture internationally. For example, industrial fish farms in Chile reportedly use large amounts of fluoroquinolones; and, around the world, billions of chickens receive third-generation cephalosporins to treat infections as day-old chicks or even before hatching from their eggs, resulting in “large reservoirs of resistant bacteria.”[10]

The Australian story

[PLUGIN type=”quotation” quote=”There is widespread use of antibiotics in the pig industry to deal with the respiratory and gastrointestinal disease problems…
(In cattle and sheep) there is significant antimicrobial use particularly in the more intensive practices of feed-lotting (e.g. to control respiratory diseases and problems with feeding grain/high energy feeds) and dairy farming (particularly for mastitis control).” author=”Australian AMR One-Health Colloquium Participant Paper”]

While animals raised for food in Australia are dosed with a broad range of antimicrobials for therapeutic, preventive and growth promoting purposes[11], we’re at least in a relatively strong position when it comes to some of the antibiotics considered ‘critically important’ to human health.

“The fundamental cause of food animal-related antibiotic resistance is factory farming. In intensive pig and poultry production, animals are kept confined in overcrowded conditions, usually with no outdoor access, and they are bred and managed for maximum yield (to grow faster or to produce more meat, milk, eggs, or offspring). These conditions compromise their health and their immune responses and encourage infectious disease to develop and spread easily.”
— Compassion in World Farming

Responsibility for registering antimicrobial drugs for use in animal agriculture in Australia lies with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which, for instance, hasn’t approved fluoroquinolones for use in farmed animals. And the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has also taken steps to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance, including developing guidelines for prescribing and authorising the use of antibiotics.

But even in Australia, a third-generation cephalosporin called ceftiofur is sold for use in cattle and sheep[12] — and a 2018 study reported that it had been administered to Australian pigs, resulting in resistance still measurable after four years.[13]

According to Emeritus Professor Mary Barton of the University of South Australia, while the situation is better in Australia than many other parts of the world, we need to do more before the problem gets out of hand.[14] Highlighting the pressing nature of the issue, in recent years methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was detected for the first time in Australian pigs.[15]

Researchers from institutes worldwide — including the University of Wollongong — have also formed an international consortium to follow a major development in the global antimicrobial resistance crisis: colistin resistance.

Colistin is considered a a last resort drug for treating multidrug-resistant Salmonella, and resistance to it has finally arrived in the USA. First reported in China, the gene responsible for colistin resistance, mcr-3.1, has since been discovered in countries as far-flung as Australia and Canada.[16]

[PLUGIN type=”quotation” quote=”There is no time to wait. Unless the world acts urgently, antimicrobial resistance will have disastrous impact within a generation.(17)” author=”UN Interagency Coordination Group (IACG) on Antimicrobial Resistance, 2019″]

Falling through the cracks?

“Information in Australia is limited because we don’t have a systematic surveillance program for antimicrobial resistance in animals… More needs to be done to understand antimicrobial use in all animals and to what extent this is contributing to antimicrobial resistance to humans.”
— Emeritus Professor Mary Barton AO, University of South Australia

Disturbingly, there’s still no national system to monitor how many antibiotics are given to farmed animals in Australia.

Figures collected by the APVMA are limited to total weights sold, and only reported on a voluntary basis by pharmaceutical companies, severely limiting the scope of monitoring efforts. There is also still no national surveillance program to monitor levels of resistance to microbials in farmed animals[18], though some limited industry research has started.[19]

As far back as 1999, the Australian Government established the Joint Expert Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance (JETACAR), which provided a whole suite of recommended actions to fight antimicrobial resistance. But the momentum generated by JETACAR seemed to fizzle out, and various committees and working groups initiated in the following two decades failed to achieve significant practical changes in relation to animals.

“[N]o one knows if the use of antibiotics in industry is increasing or decreasing.”
— Dr Ben Gardiner, President of the Australian Veterinary Association, May 2014

In 2019 the Australian Government responded to a 2013 Senate Committee report on JETACAR’s 22 recommendations. According to this response, systems to monitor the use of antimicrobials in Australian animals, and national surveillance of resistance levels, are “being developed”.[20]

Hopefully, Australia’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú 2020 and Beyond, launched in March 2020, will see major steps taken urgently √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú though the strategy highlights that while the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) monitoring system is providing national data in human health, “[c]omparable progress in surveillance across the animal health or environment sectors has not been made.”.[21]

Time to move — and think

[PLUGIN type=”quotation” quote=”If we fail to act, we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again.” author=”Former UK Prime Minister David Camero”]

We don’t need a repeat of the Dark Ages. It’s time for our government authorities and industries to work together in a strategic way to deal with antimicrobial resistance — and to look beyond Australia’s borders in doing so.

Regardless of precautions taken in our own country, experts have warned that in this age of frequent international travel and universal food supply chains, the global risk of antimicrobial resistance is Australia’s risk, too.

Genuinely rethinking how our society views and treats animals is fundamental to this. When the way we farm animals — as though they’re cogs in a factory with no value beyond what their bodies can produce — means they have to be so heavily medicated, something is seriously wrong.

How you can help

While the threat of superbugs is a complex problem, one thing that’s clear is that the push to increase growth rates and productivity in intensive animal farms (also known as ‘factory farms’) is only making the threat more serious.

The good news is we all have the power to take a stand against superbugs and factory farming cruelty, starting today.

Factory farming only exists because so many animals are being eaten, which drive up stocking rates — and necessitates the use of antibiotics. Reducing or replacing animal products in our meals is not only the most profound way to reduce animal suffering, it’s also√Ǭ†best for the planet and for us as well.

Eating plant-based is easy, delicious and it’s getting more popular, every single day.

Keen to find out more? You’ll find all the information you need, plus a selection of delicious recipes, in our free veg starter kit! Order your copy here. Or if you’re ready to get cooking right away, then you might like to browse our collection of 100+ scrumptious plant-based recipes at VegKit.com!

Find out more:

1. “Crackdown recommended on antibiotic over prescription”, ABC Radio National AM, 08 October 2019, https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/crackdown-recommended-on-antibiotic-over-prescription/11581450
2. “Farm animals are the next big antibiotic resistance threat”, Wired, 19 September 2019, https://www.wired.com/story/farm-animals-are-the-next-big-antibiotic-resistance-threat/
3. “Superbug hotspots emerging in farms across globe √¢‚Ǩ‚Äú study”, The Guardian, 20 September 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/19/superbug-hotspots-emerging-in-farms-across-globe-study
4. “The hidden link between farm antibiotics and human illness”, Wired, 09 July 2018, https://www.wired.com/story/farm-antibiotics-human-illness-hidden-link/
5. “Deadly Germs. Lost Cures. Warning of ‘Pig Zero’: One drugmaker’s push to sell more antibiotics”, New York Times, 7 June 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/health/drug-companies-antibiotics-resistance.html
6. “Antibiotic resistant superbugs ‘will kill 90,000 Britons by 2050′”, The Guardian, 08 November 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/07/antibiotic-resistant-superbugs-will-kill-90000-britons-by-2050
7. “To get antibiotics off your plate, vote with your wallet”, Wired, 20 December 2018, https://www.wired.com/story/antibiotics-fda-regulation-vote-with-your-wallet/
8. “Stop using antibiotics in healthy animals to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance”, World Health Organisation, 7 November 2017, https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-11-2017-stop-using-antibiotics-in-healthy-animals-to-prevent-the-spread-of-antibiotic-resistance
9. “Global trends in antimicrobial use in food animals”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 19 March 2015, https://www.pnas.org/content/112/18/5649

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Chickens raised for their meat are just … unhealthy. The unnaturally fast growth of their bodies coupled with crowded conditions mean they suffer myriad problems, including lameness, respiratory issues, heart problems, disease, chemical burns on their bodies and feet, infections, and of course death. It’s not uncommon to see dead and dying birds inside a chicken farm.

In 2018, a customer who bought chicken breast from a supermarket in Victoria, was shocked to dicover green flesh (pictured above. Image: Jamie Ferguson/Facebook). This is known as Deep Pectoral Myopathy (DPM) or green muscle disease and is a result of the unnaturally rapid growth rate meat chickens are forced to undergo. The green flesh is usually cut out during meat processing, or the meat ‘downgraded’.

Chickens are well-known for being talkative, and scientists have identified over 24 distinct noises that adult chickens use to communicate different things, such as danger or food and how they are feeling.

But meat chickens have been selectively bred to grow so big so fast that they reach slaughter weight at just 35 days old — when they are still ‘cheeping’ and long before they learn to cluck, growl, murmur, coo or develop their own ‘egg song’.

In Australia, antibiotics may be given to chickens as a ‘preventative measure’, as is common practice globally when high numbers of animals are kept in close confinement.

[PLUGIN type=”quotation” quote=”In an intensive chicken rearing facility if you get one or two animals that get an infection, it’s quite common for vets to decide they need to treat all the chickens in the facility just in case it has already spread to others that are not noticeably sick.” author=”Professor Christopher Thomas, Birmingham University, June 2013″]

You have to wonder about a system that at times requires tens of thousands of animals to be dosed up on antibiotics in an effort to stem the outbreak of disease …

In Australian factory farms, it’s legal to keep tens of thousands of chickens in a single shed. From the time they’re put there as tiny chicks to the day they’re caught and killed, the litter under them will not be cleaned. Because bird waste is acidic, this build-up of ammonia can then cause painful burns on their bodies – and a build-up can make it difficult for a person to breathe within only a few minutes. Imagine what it must be like for those chickens who have to live their whole lives in there …

There’s nothing quite as unhygienic as a shed jam-packed with sick chickens living in their own filth. So once the birds are killed, their bodies are commonly washed with chlorine to get rid of the nasties like E. Coli, salmonella and campylobacter, which can make people pretty darned sick.

According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand, an estimated 8 out of 10 portions of raw chicken meat in Australia are contaminated with intestinal bacteria that could cause food poisoning.

It’s pretty damning that the ‘farming’ system implemented by the chicken meat industry results in the death of around 20 million chickens in the sheds each year. In the pursuit of profit, the chicken meat industry has condemned millions of chickens to suffer greatly; particularly those who have to cope with painful and debilitating lameness. Their bodies become so large, so quickly that many will also die from respiratory and heart problems, or from not being able to walk to food and water.
But for the industry the equation is simple — if the extra weight on birds who make it to slaughter brings in a greater profit than they lose in dead birds, then it’s good for business. These tragic deaths are factored into the economics of the industry.

Shortly after chicks destined to be sold for their meat hatch, they’re ‘sorted’ into groups — ‘viable’ and ‘unviable’. While the former will be condemned to a short life (most likely in a factory farm) the latter are considered worthless. Millions of tiny chicks who fall into this category are killed by either gassing or being dropped into a ‘maceration’ machine and ground up alive. This is just the ‘cost of doing business’ for the chicken meat industry — and this practice is entirely legal in Australia.

Our friends from Anonymous for Animal Rights in Israel recently documented the terrible fate of these ‘worthless’ chicks in a world-first investigation. Aussie Farms and Animal Liberation NSW subsequently captured this brutal practice for the first time inside an Australian hatchery. Learn more about their investigation here.

A note about ‘free range’ chickens …

Free range chicken may sound better … but in reality there is no legal definition of this term and so standards can vary enormously. Even in the ‘best’ free range systems, chickens are usually genetically the same and grow at an unnatural rate, and thus are prone to many of the same welfare issues as chooks in factory farms. Additionally – and importantly – the Free Range Egg and Poultry Association requirements state that the birds have to be ‘fully feathered’ before they have access to outdoors, at 3 weeks old. But as they will be killed between 4-6 weeks old, ‘free range’ chickens may only have access to the outside for one week of their lives.

Ultimately both ‘factory farmed’ and ‘free-range’ animals are trucked to the same slaughterhouses — and for chickens killed for their meat, this process is particularly terrifying. Once these young birds reach ‘slaughter weight’, chicken catchers will grab them by their legs, stuff them into plastic crates, and transport them in all weather conditions to the slaughterhouse. Some abattoirs will use gas chambers to kill the birds, and at other slaughterhouses an electrified bath is used to ‘stun’ the animals before their throats are cut. Many chickens may arrive with dislocated hips and fractures only to be strung up painfully by their legs and forced to hang upside-down in metal stirrups, as a conveyor belt carries them through the bath, and towards an automated knife. And that’s when things go ‘well’. It doesn’t always — as investigations inside Australian abattoirs have revealed.

In terms of suffering, and sheer numbers, chickens killed for meat represent one of the biggest animal welfare issues in the world today. In the pursuit of profits, these animals have been born (well, hatched) only to suffer. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Now that you know, the power is in your hands. Refusing factory farmed products is an important first step. But to end the systematic abuse of these intelligent and sensitive animals, chickens urgently need caring consumers to also make the choice to consume fewer animal products.

Every person who replaces some or all of the chicken meat they eat with animal-friendly alternatives helps reduce the demand that has forced chickens to endure such suffering, bringing chickens a step closer to a kinder world. And these days, it’s easier than ever.

Get started today with these delicious meat-free recipe ideas. And order your free veg starter kit here:

Special thanks to Tamara Kenneally Photography, Aussie Farms and Anonymous for Animal Rights for some of the images used in this feature.

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The post 9 facts about chicken farming that will make your stomach turn. appeared first on Animals Australia.

We are currently witnessing wildlife loss at a rate seen only during mass extinctions. According to WWF biodiversity research, 60% of Earth’s wildlife has been wiped out in just 50 years. If this trend continues, the survival of countless species is under threat … including our own.

Why are wild plants and animals dying out?

In short, we’re doing it. And largely, it’s in the way we eat …

Across almost all categories of plants and animals, the leading cause of extinction is loss of habitat due to land clearing — and the vast majority of land clearing is to graze cattle for the beef and dairy industries, and to raise crops to feed farmed animals. Currently, almost one-third of the Earth’s surface is used for these purposes alone, with more forest land bulldozed every year.

For fish and other marine animals, the greatest extinction threat is exploitation, or in other words, fishing them to extinction.

The way we currently think about and produce ‘food’ is having a catastrophic impact on almost all plant and animal species worldwide.

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How did we get here? Since the 1800s, the world’s population has grown so rapidly that it’s known by scientists as ‘The Great Acceleration’. And in the last 50 years the demand for resources has reached such a level that it is interfering profoundly with the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land and biodiversity (plant and animal life).

Prior to this population explosion, the Earth’s resources were able to replenish more quickly than humans were using them. But the Earth can no longer keep up with us. And it’s the way we’re eating and producing food that is the biggest culprit of all. We need to change the way we eat … and fast. (Read enough? Get started eating plant-based food today.)

Our survival is at risk …

Biodiversity is not just important because plants and animals are nice to look at. (Though if you’re a nature lover, you’ll know that this is reason enough.) Nature, and the ecosystems of plants and animals that work within it, is literally what’s keeping us alive. In one way or another, everything humanity needs to survive and thrive is provided by nature — food, water, oxygen … even medicine.

Many of the plant foods we eat rely on pollination from birds, bees and other insects. Clearing land to feed farmed animals is a huge threat to bees and other pollinators, as they are rapidly losing natural areas for foraging and nesting. Many plant-derived ingredients used in medical treatments also rely on pollination. The extinction of bees and other pollinating animals would pose a huge threat to our survival.

Rainforests, sometimes referred to as the ‘lungs of the Earth’, absorb carbon dioxide, and breathe out oxygen. And yet we’re cutting them down at a rapid rate, destroying the homes of countless animals and the Earth’s capacity to generate oxygen. Almost 80% of former Amazon forests are now used for grazing cattle for meat.

Along with the physical benefits, research increasingly shows that being in nature improves our psychological wellbeing. And it has irreplaceable social, cultural, spiritual and religious significance.

There’s no denying it — we need nature. And the way we eat and produce food is pushing wild plant and animal life ever closer to the brink of extinction.

It’s not too late …

If we act now, we can still turn things around. Eating plant-based foods is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to use our Earth’s resources more responsibly, and to protect wildlife in the process. With a growing population, using the resources we have effectively is increasingly important. On average, it takes around 6 kg of plant protein to create just 1 kg of animal protein. If we instead used the crops feeding farmed animals to feed humans, we could feed an additional 4 billion people. Plant-based food also uses less water, and generates less greenhouse gases. And it’s delicious!

It’s going to take all of us to turn this around. Get started with one of these tasty, plant-based recipes:

It’s no surprise that, according to a GlobalData report, around 70% of the population globally are reducing their meat consumption or eating entirely plant-based. More and more restaurants are adding plant-based meals to their menus, and supermarkets are rapidly embracing plant-based products. Find out how you can be part of the movement for a more sustainable future with a free vegetarian starter kit and 100+ plant-based recipes.

[plugin type=”quotation” quote=”We are the first generation that has a clear picture of the value of nature and the enormous impact we have on it. We may also be the last that can act to reverse this trend.” author=”WWF, Living Planet Report 2018″]

Get started with plant-based food:

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The post Beef, dairy and fishing industries are leading causes of extinction appeared first on Animals Australia.

Salmon are a carnivorous species and fish farms rely on wild caught ‘forage’ fish to feed them. Australia’s largest salmon farmer, Tassal, currently uses 2 kg of wild caught fish, such as anchovies and sardines, to produce just 1 kg of farmed salmon. There’s no other way to say it — it’s food production in reverse.

Whilst scientists are warning that commercial fishing could see fish populations collapse by 2048, millions of wild fish are being caught and killed to feed fish in farms. More than 15 million tonnes of wild caught fish were turned into ‘fishmeal’ in 2014.

It gets worse. The Southern Bluefin Tuna, farmed in South Australia, also rely on wild caught fish for feed. The Australia Marine Conservation Society suggest that it can take between 10 and 20 kgs of wild caught fish to produce just 1 kg of tuna. What’s more, commercial tuna farms around the world rely on the capture of young tuna from the wild, which are then ‘fattened up’ in pens. Southern Bluefin Tuna have been classified as ‘critically endangered’, with populations down to around 5% of their original levels. Yet fishing continues.

The ecological impacts are not the only reason we should be concerned about fish farms. Just like animals in factory farms, fish in fish farms live a cramped and stressful life. In fact, research on salmon in farms has found that 1 in 4 experience brain chemistry and behaviour identical to that of severely depressed people, and can be seen floating lifelessly at the surface.

The crowded environments are also a risk for the physical health of these fish. Disease is common and can spread rapidly. But instead of giving fish more space, many farms instead feed them antibiotics, which the World Health Organisation has warned is contributing to the threat of antibiotic-resistance in humans (ie. ‘superbugs’). Whilst around the world and here in Australia, farms are trying to reduce or eliminate antibiotics in farmed animals, Tassal recently made headlines for quadrupling its use of antibiotics in fish.

What’s wrong with wild caught fish?

Scientists have warned that our marine life is being fished to the brink of extinction. One study has predicted that our ocean life will have collapsed by 2050. And it’s not just fish who are being pulled out of our oceans. All kinds of marine life, including seals, sharks and dolphins are caught in fishing nets, and thrown back into the sea, often dead or dying.

In the past, environmentally-conscious people might have turned to farmed fish in an effort to preserve our oceans and marine life. But given the strain that ‘fishmeal’ for farmed fish puts on our oceans, the opposite is true. The most powerful thing an individual can do for our oceans is to avoid eating fish altogether.

Sadly, animals consuming more food than they produce is all too common in the food industry. Farmed land animals consume an average of 6 kg of plant protein for every 1 kg of animal protein they produce. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimate that one third of the world’s cereal harvest is being fed to farmed animals — enough to feed about 3 billion people.

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What is the sustainable option?

The good news is that there is a way to protect our marine life, and better use our world’s resources — by enjoying the abundance of plant-based food that’s right at our finger tips. 1 in 3 Australians are already turning to kinder, sustainable plant-based meals. Eating plant-based reduces your environmental impact and spares animals from cruelty, and can provide all the nutrients your body needs to thrive including omega 3.

Keen to find out more? You’ll find all the information you need, plus a selection of delicious recipes, in our free veg starter kit! Order your copy here. Or if you’re ready to get cooking right away, then you might like to browse our collection of 100+ scrumptious plant-based recipes at VegKit.com!

Explore plant-based food:

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The post Salmon farms take wild fish from the oceans to feed their fish appeared first on Animals Australia.

1. Fish farms are polluting the seas

Many off-shore fish farms let faeces and food waste fall directly into the ocean below. The build-up of this waste can destroy marine ecosystems on the sea floor below, before eventually flowing into the ocean.

2. Fish in farms are eating up wild fish

Tuna and salmon are carnivores. And just like other farmed animals, they eat more than they produce. Every year, millions of anchovies, sardines and other small fish are caught from the ocean to be fed to fish in fish farms. Australia’s largest salmon farmer, Tassal, uses 2 kg of wild caught fish in feed to produce just 1 kg of farmed salmon.

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3. Fish flesh dyed pink

Some fish farms are trying to reduce the number of wild caught fish they use by substituting vegetables, chicken and other land animals into fish feed. This change in salmon’s natural diet makes the flesh of salmon turn an unappealing grey colour. So salmon farmers include a synthetic compound called astaxanthin in fish feed which dyes fish flesh the pink colour salmon eaters expect.

4. Seals shot with beanbag bullets

Naturally, seals are drawn to fish farms as a food source. In an effort to deter them, some fish farms fire beanbag bullets at seals who approach the farms. Documents have revealed that more than 8,700 bullets have been fired at seals around aquaculture sites in Tasmania since 2013. The ABC reported that there have been incidences of seals being blinded and deafened as a result of being hit by one of these beanbag bullets.

Seals attempting to get into a fish farm

5. Many fish suffer from disease

The cramped environments in fish farms allow for disease to spread rapidly from fish to fish. Amoebic gill disease is a parasite which thrives in warm water, making it a common threat to fish in Australian farms, particularly during summer.[1] The parasite deteriorates their gills, making it difficult for fish to get enough oxygen, eventually causing heart collapse and death if left untreated.

There are a range of other viruses, bacteria and parasites which can affect fish in farms, often with tragic results.[2] In 2018, more than 1 million fish died from pilchard orthomyxovirus (POMV) in fish farms in Tasmania.

Read enough? Every time you choose plant-based meals, you spare fish and all animals from cruelty and slaughter. Get started today with a free veg starter kit.

6. “Bathing” fish is stressful and dangerous

Amoebic gill disease can be washed off fish in a process called ‘bathing’ which involves pumping fish through a tube into a freshwater tank, and then returning them to their sea pen. In summer months, fish may be ‘bathed’ as often as every 30-40 days.

Processes like this are very stressful for fish and can result in injuries and mortalities, and in some instances mass deaths. In 2016, more than 175,000 salmon were killed ‘by accident‘ during treatment for sea lice in farms in Scotland. In 2018, a Tassal farm in Tasmania killed 30,000 fish during a ‘bathing’ treatment, citing ‘human error‘ as the cause.

7. Infecting wild fish populations

As many fish are farmed in sea cages in the open ocean, the prevalence of diseases in fish farms is a serious threat to ocean ecosystems as disease can spread into surrounding waters and infect wild fish populations.[3]

8. Mass deaths

On top of the risk of death from disease, salmon are sensitive to environmental changes such as temperature spikes and dips in oxygen levels. The build-up of waste on the sea floor under fish farms can negatively impact oxygen levels, as can the stocking density of fish, water flow, water temperature and a range of other factors. When oxygen levels drop, fish become stressed and struggle to breathe. In 2015, 85,000 salmon suffocated to death in a salmon farm in Tasmania due to a change in oxygen levels.

Atlantic salmon prefer cool waters and in the wild, they can migrate huge distances to find temperatures where they can thrive. In farms, their movement is restricted to pens, and when the temperature rises, they have no escape. In a New Zealand salmon farm, a large number of fish died when water temperatures rose to 18 degrees in 2015. The spokesperson for the farm refused to reveal the number of mortalities.

9. Fish suffering depression

As many as 1 in 4 fish in fish farms show signs of severe depression and simply “give up on life”. These fish have stunted growth and can be seen floating lifelessly at the surface. The research concluded that depressed fish exhibit behaviours and brain chemistry almost identical to those of very stressed and depressed people.

Fish are more intelligent than many people give them credit for. Living in crowded tanks where they have to compete with others for food and swim monotonously in circles is a stressful and unnatural environment for a fish. Just like pigs and chickens in factory farms, fish in farms live a life of suffering.

10. Escapees from fish farms could be a threat to local ecosystems

Fish escape from sea pens both in an everyday ‘trickle’ which is around 2-3% of fish stock (amounting to thousands upon thousands of fish every year), and through major escapes as a result of storms, net tears and other causes. The fish farming industry is required to report major escapes of more than 1000 individuals. In 2000-2006, a total of 208,000 salmon were reported to have escaped in Tasmania in 11 escape episodes.[4] With the industry growing, so are these numbers. In 2018 one incidence unleashed 120,000 salmon into Tasmanian waters, and 2020 saw yet another outbreak occur, with the escape of 50,000 Tasmanian farmed salmon — giving further rise to fears among environmentalists that the breach could potentially “pollute” the marine environment and seriously impact local ecosystems.

There is little research done into the impacts and fate of farmed salmon being released into Australian waters but some research suggests that, as carnivores, they could decimate wild fish populations. Others suggest that they are unable to survive in the wild and slowly starve to death.

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You can take action for fish (and all animals) into your own hands by choosing kinder, sustainable plant-based meals. Get started today by ordering a free vegetarian starter kit.

What about fishing?

It’s clear that there are some serious environmental and welfare concerns to do with fish farming. So is fishing from our oceans more sustainable? Here are 6 things to consider:

1. Fishing is emptying oceans

Scientists have warned that if we continue to pull fish out of the sea at current rates, ocean ecosystems could collapse by 2048.[5] If we want to allow oceans to continue to survive and thrive for future generations, we need to let wild fish populations recuperate from the destruction we’ve caused and leave sea animals in the sea.

2. Fish suffer a painful death

When fish are pulled out from the depths of the ocean, the change in pressure can cause their eyes and internal organs to burst. If they survive this, they may be crushed to death under the weight of other animals in the enormous nets. For most, death comes as they slowly suffocate on the decks of ships. We would never stand for this extreme suffering of animals on land. But out in the middle of the ocean, no one can see their suffering.

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3. Killing dolphins, turtles, sharks …

Fish aren’t the only animals who are under threat as a result of fishing. Fishing nets catch dolphins, sharks, turtles, stingrays and any other animal in their path. If they are thrown back into the ocean, many are injured, in shock and in some cases dead or dying.

4. Filling oceans with plastic

A recent study analysing the contents of the world’s largest floating patch of garbage, discovered that a whopping 46% of it was fishing nets — with the majority of the rest being made up of other discarded fishing gear such as ropes and traps. The fishing industry is not only emptying our oceans of fish, it’s filling it with trash!

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5. Ghostnets killing thousands

Discarded fishing nets, known as ghostnets, kill more than 130,000 seals, whales, and dolphins every year, and mutilates thousands of others.

6. Plastic in guts of fish

The amount of plastic in the ocean is not only a threat to animals — it’s a threat to humans! Scientists have found microparticles of plastic in the bodies of humans as a result of eating fish and other sea animals who commonly ingest plastic. The researchers expressed concern that humans could be ingesting dangerous toxins through these plastic particles.

Sadly, whenever animals are farmed (or fished) for human consumption, we see the same things — environmental destruction and a disregard for animal welfare. Just like pig and chicken farms, fish farms eat up resources, create tons of waste and inflict a huge amount of suffering. And commercial fishing is emptying oceans, destroying ecosystems and leaving nets behind to take even more lives.

A better way …

It’s no surprise that 1 in 3 Australians are turning to kinder, sustainable plant-based meals. Eating plant-based reduces your environmental impact and spares animals from cruelty. A plant-based diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs to thrive, including omega 3.

Keen to find out more? You’ll find all the information you need, plus a selection of delicious recipes, in our free veg starter kit! Order your copy here. Or if you’re ready to get cooking right away, then you might like to browse our collection of 100+ scrumptious plant-based recipes at VegKit.com!

More about sustainable food

[PLUGIN type=”featureBox” id=”83″]

References

[1] Bagley, Carley Anderson. 2006. ‘Potential risk factors of amoebic gill disease in Tasmanian Atlantic salmon’. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania. Retrieved from: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/19226/

[2] Jones, M. In: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. 2004. ‘Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme. Salmo salar.’. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Salmo_salar/en#tcNA00B1

[3] Peeler, E. J. and Murray, A. G. 2004. ‘Disease interaction between farmed and wild fish populations’. Journal of Fish Biology, 65: 321-322. Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2004.0559s.x

[4] Eva B. Thorstad, Ian A. Fleming, Philip McGinnity, Doris
Soto, Vidar Wennevik & Fred Whoriskey. 2008. ‘Incidence and impacts of
escaped farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in nature’. NINA Special Report 36. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/3/a-aj272e.pdf

[5] Goudarzi, S. 2006. ‘Study: Marine Species Collapse by 2048’. Live Science. Retrieved from: https://www.livescience.com/4288-study-marine-species-collapse-2048.html

The post 12 things you need to know before you buy farmed fish appeared first on Animals Australia.

1. Fish farms are polluting the seas

Many off-shore fish farms let faeces and food waste fall directly into the ocean below. The build-up of this waste can destroy marine ecosystems on the sea floor below, before eventually flowing into the ocean.

2. Fish in farms are eating up wild fish

Tuna and salmon are carnivores. And just like other farmed animals, they eat more than they produce. Every year, millions of anchovies, sardines and other small fish are caught from the ocean to be fed to fish in fish farms. Australia’s largest salmon farmer, Tassal, uses 2 kg of wild caught fish in feed to produce just 1 kg of farmed salmon.

[plugin type=”video” id=”254233244″]

3. Fish flesh dyed pink

Some fish farms are trying to reduce the number of wild caught fish they use by substituting vegetables, chicken and other land animals into fish feed. This change in salmon’s natural diet makes the flesh of salmon turn an unappealing grey colour. So salmon farmers include a synthetic compound called astaxanthin in fish feed which dyes fish flesh the pink colour salmon eaters expect.

4. Seals shot with beanbag bullets

Naturally, seals are drawn to fish farms as a food source. In an effort to deter them, some fish farms fire beanbag bullets at seals who approach the farms. Documents have revealed that more than 8,700 bullets have been fired at seals around aquaculture sites in Tasmania since 2013. The ABC reported that there have been incidences of seals being blinded and deafened as a result of being hit by one of these beanbag bullets.

Seals attempting to get into a fish farm

5. Many fish suffer from disease

The cramped environments in fish farms allow for disease to spread rapidly from fish to fish. Amoebic gill disease is a parasite which thrives in warm water, making it a common threat to fish in Australian farms, particularly during summer.[1] The parasite deteriorates their gills, making it difficult for fish to get enough oxygen, eventually causing heart collapse and death if left untreated.

There are a range of other viruses, bacteria and parasites which can affect fish in farms, often with tragic results.[2] In 2018, more than 1 million fish died from pilchard orthomyxovirus (POMV) in fish farms in Tasmania.

Read enough? Every time you choose plant-based meals, you spare fish and all animals from cruelty and slaughter. Get started today with a free veg starter kit.

6. “Bathing” fish is stressful and dangerous

Amoebic gill disease can be washed off fish in a process called ‘bathing’ which involves pumping fish through a tube into a freshwater tank, and then returning them to their sea pen. In summer months, fish may be ‘bathed’ as often as every 30-40 days.

Processes like this are very stressful for fish and can result in injuries and mortalities, and in some instances mass deaths. In 2016, more than 175,000 salmon were killed ‘by accident‘ during treatment for sea lice in farms in Scotland. In 2018, a Tassal farm in Tasmania killed 30,000 fish during a ‘bathing’ treatment, citing ‘human error‘ as the cause.

7. Infecting wild fish populations

As many fish are farmed in sea cages in the open ocean, the prevalence of diseases in fish farms is a serious threat to ocean ecosystems as disease can spread into surrounding waters and infect wild fish populations.[3]

8. Mass deaths

On top of the risk of death from disease, salmon are sensitive to environmental changes such as temperature spikes and dips in oxygen levels. The build-up of waste on the sea floor under fish farms can negatively impact oxygen levels, as can the stocking density of fish, water flow, water temperature and a range of other factors. When oxygen levels drop, fish become stressed and struggle to breathe. In 2015, 85,000 salmon suffocated to death in a salmon farm in Tasmania due to a change in oxygen levels.

Atlantic salmon prefer cool waters and in the wild, they can migrate huge distances to find temperatures where they can thrive. In farms, their movement is restricted to pens, and when the temperature rises, they have no escape. In a New Zealand salmon farm, a large number of fish died when water temperatures rose to 18 degrees in 2015. The spokesperson for the farm refused to reveal the number of mortalities.

9. Fish suffering depression

As many as 1 in 4 fish in fish farms show signs of severe depression and simply “give up on life”. These fish have stunted growth and can be seen floating lifelessly at the surface. The research concluded that depressed fish exhibit behaviours and brain chemistry almost identical to those of very stressed and depressed people.

Fish are more intelligent than many people give them credit for. Living in crowded tanks where they have to compete with others for food and swim monotonously in circles is a stressful and unnatural environment for a fish. Just like pigs and chickens in factory farms, fish in farms live a life of suffering.

10. Escapees from fish farms could be a threat to local ecosystems

Fish escape from sea pens both in an everyday ‘trickle’ which is around 2-3% of fish stock (amounting to thousands upon thousands of fish every year), and through major escapes as a result of storms, net tears and other causes. The fish farming industry is required to report major escapes of more than 1000 individuals. In 2000-2006, a total of 208,000 salmon were reported to have escaped in Tasmania in 11 escape episodes.[4] With the industry growing, so are these numbers. In 2018 one incidence unleashed 120,000 salmon into Tasmanian waters, and 2020 saw yet another outbreak occur, with the escape of 50,000 Tasmanian farmed salmon — giving further rise to fears among environmentalists that the breach could potentially “pollute” the marine environment and seriously impact local ecosystems.

There is little research done into the impacts and fate of farmed salmon being released into Australian waters but some research suggests that, as carnivores, they could decimate wild fish populations. Others suggest that they are unable to survive in the wild and slowly starve to death.

[plugin type=”video” id=”288676006″]

You can take action for fish (and all animals) into your own hands by choosing kinder, sustainable plant-based meals. Get started today by ordering a free vegetarian starter kit.

What about fishing?

It’s clear that there are some serious environmental and welfare concerns to do with fish farming. So is fishing from our oceans more sustainable? Here are 6 things to consider:

1. Fishing is emptying oceans

Scientists have warned that if we continue to pull fish out of the sea at current rates, ocean ecosystems could collapse by 2048.[5] If we want to allow oceans to continue to survive and thrive for future generations, we need to let wild fish populations recuperate from the destruction we’ve caused and leave sea animals in the sea.

2. Fish suffer a painful death

When fish are pulled out from the depths of the ocean, the change in pressure can cause their eyes and internal organs to burst. If they survive this, they may be crushed to death under the weight of other animals in the enormous nets. For most, death comes as they slowly suffocate on the decks of ships. We would never stand for this extreme suffering of animals on land. But out in the middle of the ocean, no one can see their suffering.

[plugin type=”video” id=”293064791″]

3. Killing dolphins, turtles, sharks …

Fish aren’t the only animals who are under threat as a result of fishing. Fishing nets catch dolphins, sharks, turtles, stingrays and any other animal in their path. If they are thrown back into the ocean, many are injured, in shock and in some cases dead or dying.

4. Filling oceans with plastic

A recent study analysing the contents of the world’s largest floating patch of garbage, discovered that a whopping 46% of it was fishing nets — with the majority of the rest being made up of other discarded fishing gear such as ropes and traps. The fishing industry is not only emptying our oceans of fish, it’s filling it with trash!

[plugin type=”video” id=”282792755″]

5. Ghostnets killing thousands

Discarded fishing nets, known as ghostnets, kill more than 130,000 seals, whales, and dolphins every year, and mutilates thousands of others.

6. Plastic in guts of fish

The amount of plastic in the ocean is not only a threat to animals — it’s a threat to humans! Scientists have found microparticles of plastic in the bodies of humans as a result of eating fish and other sea animals who commonly ingest plastic. The researchers expressed concern that humans could be ingesting dangerous toxins through these plastic particles.

Sadly, whenever animals are farmed (or fished) for human consumption, we see the same things — environmental destruction and a disregard for animal welfare. Just like pig and chicken farms, fish farms eat up resources, create tons of waste and inflict a huge amount of suffering. And commercial fishing is emptying oceans, destroying ecosystems and leaving nets behind to take even more lives.

A better way …

It’s no surprise that 1 in 3 Australians are turning to kinder, sustainable plant-based meals. Eating plant-based reduces your environmental impact and spares animals from cruelty. A plant-based diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs to thrive, including omega 3.

Keen to find out more? You’ll find all the information you need, plus a selection of delicious recipes, in our free veg starter kit! Order your copy here. Or if you’re ready to get cooking right away, then you might like to browse our collection of 100+ scrumptious plant-based recipes at VegKit.com!

More about sustainable food

[PLUGIN type=”featureBox” id=”83″]

References

[1] Bagley, Carley Anderson. 2006. ‘Potential risk factors of amoebic gill disease in Tasmanian Atlantic salmon’. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania. Retrieved from: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/19226/

[2] Jones, M. In: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. 2004. ‘Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme. Salmo salar.’. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Salmo_salar/en#tcNA00B1

[3] Peeler, E. J. and Murray, A. G. 2004. ‘Disease interaction between farmed and wild fish populations’. Journal of Fish Biology, 65: 321-322. Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2004.0559s.x

[4] Eva B. Thorstad, Ian A. Fleming, Philip McGinnity, Doris
Soto, Vidar Wennevik & Fred Whoriskey. 2008. ‘Incidence and impacts of
escaped farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in nature’. NINA Special Report 36. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/3/a-aj272e.pdf

[5] Goudarzi, S. 2006. ‘Study: Marine Species Collapse by 2048’. Live Science. Retrieved from: https://www.livescience.com/4288-study-marine-species-collapse-2048.html

The post 5 things the fishing industry doesn’t want you to know appeared first on Animals Australia.

They love belly rubs, wiggle their tails when they’re happy, have unique personalities, enjoy affection and cuddles, and are not only capable of being easily trained but can perform complex tasks and have excellent memories. In all the ways that matter, pigs are no different to dogs who hold a special place in our hearts and homes… but simply because they have been classified as “food” sadly most pigs are denied any quality of life. Here are 13 important reasons to expand your circle of compassion to include pigs:

Pigs are smarter than dogs, and can be trained to respond to voice commands, are easily toilet trained, have also solved complex puzzles and even played video games… In fact, they’re smarter than a three year old human child.

[PLUGIN type=”quotation” quote=”{Pigs} have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly three-year-olds.” author=”Professor Donald Broom of Cambridge University Veterinary School”]

Even young piglets have amazing memories. They will remember the answer to a puzzle more than 6 months after first observing it. This shows a well-functioning long-term memory, according to a study from the Messerli Research Institute of Vetmeduni in Vienna.

The hormone oxytocin (also known as the ‘love’ hormone) is released in humans when we do things like hug, and it helps strengthen the bonds between us. When we pet pigs, they release the same hormone over the next several hours. The more interactions with us that pigs get, the more oxytocin the release.

In recent years, scientists have revealed that pigs can sense the passage of time across days at a time. This is especially significant because pigs are one of the world’s most intensively farmed species… and the conditions that the vast majority of pigs are kept in involve severe confinement over long periods of time. Imagine the mental anguish of being confined to a cage the size of your body with no option but to endure the agonisingly slow passing of time…

When given sufficient space to live in, pigs will use a toilet area far away from their bedding and food. The misconception that they are in any way dirty is thought to stem from the fact that they will cover themselves in mud to keep cool and protect themselves from the sun. Humans sweat, dogs pant, and pigs will swim or coat themselves in mud… it’s just their way of regulating their body temperature.

Pigs develop highly complex social structures in their group. At about three weeks old, piglets will start playing with other piglets and it is during this time that strong bonds are formed with others, often lasting the duration of their lives. They will often sleep nose to nose with their closest friends.

About 24 hours before they’re due to give birth, expectant mums will temporarily leave their group in order to collect branches and soft material to build a nest.

Once she has given birth, her piglets will make their way to her face so that they can touch noses with their mum and get to know each other’s voices. Mother pigs are known to ‘sing’ to their piglets to let them know when her milk is ready (think the pig version of the dinner bell).

Their snout has as many tactile receptors as a human hand and is a highly specialised and sensitive tool. Much the same as we humans use our hands, pigs use their snouts to investigate and assess the world around them. They will spend most of their time foraging, and their sensitive snout along with an exceptional sense of smell enables them to uncover tasty treats such as seeds, roots and truffles.

Unlike dogs, or humans for that matter, pigs have a very good sense of control when it comes to food and will never dangerously overeat — even when given access to unlimited food.

Even small amounts of processed meat (including bacon, sausages, and salami) has been found to increase the chances of cancer. A 2018 review of many studies showed that eating as little as 25 grams of processed meat (or a single rasher of bacon) a day would lead to higher incidences of bowel cancer. Similarly, eating 75 grams (or three slices) of ham a day would also increase the likelihood of contracting cancer.

The majority of pigs in Australia are kept in extreme confinement and deprivation. To condemn our beloved pet dog to lifelong suffering like this would undoubtedly cause enormous outcry from the community, and yet pigs — playful, emotional, intelligent and social just like dogs — are denied even the most basic welfare requirements like being able to move freely. Many will never even see the sun.

Pigs are incredibly sensitive to the feelings of others around them. While transport is inherently stressful for all animals, the fact that pigs are unable to be ‘herded’ makes it more difficult to move groups of them in a desired direction, putting them at additional risk of abuse from the frustrated workers who are under immense pressure to work as quickly as possible. Footage taken from inside the most ‘humane’ — and the biggest — pig slaughterhouse in Australia revealed the extreme distress that these sensitive animals endure in their final moments inside gas chambers.

Seeing pigs a little differently now?

If you think these lovely pigs deserve a better life than the experience they’re living on factory farms, just remember: You can help free all animals from factory farms!

The simplest way to take a stand against factory farming cruelty is to stop buying or eating factory farmed products. And the great news is that choosing to live compassionately couldn’t be easier. Simply by making informed, every-day choices to live kindly, you have the power to make a lifetime of positive difference to animals everywhere.

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