World Aquatic Animal Day is an annual day dedicated to aquatic animals, being launched for the first time on April 3, 2020, and is a project of the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative (AALI) and the Animal Law Clinic at Lewis & Clark Law School (Clinic/we/us). Each year, we intend to raise global awareness about these often-forgotten nonhuman animals.

Aquatic animals play a critical role in our societies and ecosystems. They are important not only as a group but also have value and intrinsic worth as individuals. By “aquatic animals” we mean not only fish, but also a myriad of other animals that require aquatic habitats, such as: amphibians, marine mammals, crustaceans, reptiles, mollusks, aquatic birds, aquatic insects, starfish, and corals. Aquatic animals are widely used, and abused, around the world and they, and their habitats, face a multitude of significant threats.

There is urgent need to give aquatic animals proper consideration. Through law, policy, education, advocacy, and good stewardship of the earth, efforts to raise awareness of the plight of aquatic animals must rise to meet the immense challenges they face. We must consider our interactions with aquatic animals, our treatment of them, and the often-devastating impacts we are having on them and on their habitats.

Join us on April 3rd each year as we celebrate these creatures and call for action to protect them through education, law, policy, outreach, and other avenues. With a different focus each year, we will, together, highlight and work to address the issues aquatic animals face.