Even animal advocates neglect them
Just as most people put humans first, many animal activists end up neglecting the problems that affect the most animals.
Where the animals are and where the money goes
In the United States, out of all exploited land vertebrates:
- over 99.7% are killed in animal agriculture;
- 0.2% in laboratories;
- 0.07% in the clothing industry;
- 0.03% in shelters.
But donations to the animal cause go to:
- 66% shelters;
- 32% groups with a mix of activities;
- 0.7% organizations working on lab animals;
- only 0.8% organizations focused on farmed animals.
In other words: almost all the money goes where the fewest animals are.
Aquatic animals and invertebrates
Even when people talk about animals used for food, they almost always think of cows, pigs, and chickens. But look at the yearly numbers:
- mammals and birds: about 80 billion;
- farmed fish: between 51 and 167 billion;
- fish caught at sea: between 787 billion and 2.3 trillion;
- aquatic animals used as feed for farmed fish: between 462 billion and 1.1 trillion.
And there are also trillions of invertebrates, like shrimp and insects.
In short
- Almost all exploited animals are in animal agriculture, but almost nothing goes to them.
- Fish and invertebrates are most of the victims and the most forgotten.
- Activists also need to look at where most of the suffering is.