Our oceans are in peril—devastated by climate change, pollution, and industrial fishing. But the New Year brings me new hope. It’s a chance for us to make waves of change, to protect the trillions of animals who are dying every year for the seafood industry. I’m taking on the murky, deceitful practices of this industry through a new campaign, and I need your support today: Donate now to save sea life!

As many of you know, protecting the ocean, and aquatic life has been my life’s calling. That’s why I’m immensely grateful and excited that, starting January 1st, I’ll be leading a full-time campaign to protect aquatic life at the Better Food Foundation, my employer for the last 4 years. Not only will the campaign bring together everything I’ve learned in my career as an animal advocate, it will also be backed by the amazing and experienced team at BFF. In other words, I think the impact will be BIG.

Here’s why this campaign is more urgent than ever. Over the last decade, each time I go diving, I notice the coral reefs getting duller and the schools of multicolored fish dwindling. Climate change is threatening all sea life, while massive ocean trawlers decimate already struggling fish, turtle, shark, and dolphin populations.

Now, a new threat is brewing: aquaculture, or fish farming, masquerading as a “solution” to the perils of large-scale fishing. Some of the biggest environmental players are championing the growth of these farms, which are now producing half of global seafood. But aquaculture is nothing more than a new form of factory farming, in which fish are crowded into filthy pens and riddled with parasites, and pollutants spill into the surrounding waters. Even worse—farmed species like salmon are fed wild-caught fish, so these farms actually bolster the fishing industry.

The greenwashing of aquaculture has convinced so many people who care about the planet to eat more seafood, not less. But now I have a chance to turn this around—with your help.

Together, we’ve had some major victories, like stopping a cruel hermit crab race and putting up billboards all over the beach to urge beachgoers to leave these wild animals in the wild. You’ve helped me shut down Hawaii’s octopus farm and advocate for lobsters who are boiled alive. With your help now, we can aim bigger and save our precious sea life from fish farms, before it’s too late.

Every donation up to $50,000 dollars will be matched by a generous donor—meaning your impact will be twice as big. Let’s turn the tides for our oceans, together.

Click here to make your donation to stop fish factory farming today!

In addition to funding, I’d also love any referrals to activists and organizations that can help me build my strategy. Reach out to me at laura@betterfoodfoundation.org to talk! Thank you so much for your support, and wishing you a happy holiday season.

Laura