Aquatic Animal Funding Circle
Coordinating major funders to reduce suffering for farmed aquatic animals and prevent the growth of aquaculture.
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, Senterra Funders hosted an Aquatic Animal Funding Circle starting in January 2025, which aimed 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.
Click here to learn about the Circle’s 2025 funding recommendations.
The Aquatic Animal Funding Circle aimed to reduce suffering for farmed aquatic animals by:
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
Learning about key barriers, theories of change, funding gaps, and the most promising interventions and groups to reduce aquatic animal suffering
Soliciting proposals for funding in a joint RFP round
Co-evaluating proposals, to actively learn about each other’s evaluation styles
Co-funding the most promising opportunities to reduce aquatic animal suffering with a co-funding goal each cycle of at least $1 million USD
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.
Funding requirements
The Aquatic Animal Funding Circle was open to all Senterra 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-Senterra 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.