The Aquatic Animal Funding Circle

The movement to protect farmed aquatic animals is nascent when compared with the movement to protect farmed land animals. Despite being a relatively new area for funder focus, the number of farmed aquatic animals eclipses the number of farmed land animals and is expected to grow. 

Inspired by proposals from Rethink Priorities and the Aquatic Life Institute, Farmed Animal Funders is hosting an Aquatic Animal Funding Circle starting January 2025, which aims to reduce suffering for farmed aquatic animals, including the 100 billion fish and 350-400 billion shrimp farmed annually, and prevent the growth of aquaculture.

As aquaculture takes off with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization calling for a 75% increase in aquaculture farming, we know that the best time to intervene was decades ago—and the second best time is now.

The Aquatic Animal Funding Circle aims to reduce suffering for farmed aquatic animals by:

  1. Coalescing major funders (giving $250,000+ annually to reform or replace factory farming) interested in allocating some of their giving or expanding their giving to help aquatic animals

  2. Learning about key barriers, theories of change, funding gaps, and the most promising interventions and groups to reduce aquatic animal suffering

  3. Soliciting proposals for funding in a joint RFP round 

  4. Co-evaluating proposals, to actively learn about each other’s evaluation styles

  5. Co-funding the most promising opportunities to reduce aquatic animal suffering with a co-funding goal each cycle of at least $1 million USD

  6. Updating our assumptions and strategies as we learn from funding impacts

Examples of interventions the circle might fund include:

  • Harm-reduction interventions, such as certifier campaigns, corporate engagement, and policy work. 

  • Interventions to prevent the growth of aquaculture altogether, such as strategic litigation, legislative bans, or exceptional, near-term alternative protein opportunities.

  • Movement strategy research and coordination, particularly given the early stage of the aquatic animal welfare movement.

The Aquatic Animal Funding Circle is open to all FAF members with a sincere interest in significantly (i.e., at least $50k—500k) co-funding aquatic animal welfare interventions.

We are open to including non-FAF members on a case-by-case basis who have a sincere interest in donating at least $100k to aquatic animal welfare interventions per funding round.

Aquatic Animal Funding Circle members are encouraged to attend monthly meetings, participate in the grant evaluations, and co-fund the grants that meet their philanthropic goals.  If there is a funding gap at the end of each funding circle, FAF will share the funding opportunities with other donors and seek to close any funding gaps.

To express interest in joining the Aquatic Animal Funding Circle, starting January 2025, please reach out to Zoë Sigle, Farmed Animal Funders’ Director of Programs, at aquaticanimals-fc@farmedanimalfunders.org.  If you are interested in learning about funding circle grants and opportunities to co-fund but can’t actively participate in the funding circle, let Zoë know.

The grant application for organizations seeking funding will open in spring 2025. Proposals submitted via email outside the formal grant application process will not be considered.