Aidan Kankyoku's Quick takes

At Aquatic Life Institute (ALI), we believe that in order to truly safeguard aquatic animals, we must transform the very systems that shape their lives. Our 2025 Half Year Report marks a strategic turning point, in that it's the first time ALI is communicating our work externally through the lens of systems-level impact, not just activity. The report explores ALI’s newly defined spheres of influence and our process for impact measurement through the stages of Recognition, Protection, and Prioritization - all illustrated through several detailed case studies. Our goal is to move initiatives across these stages: from visibility to safeguards to systemic integration. Therefore, our 2025 half-year report is focused on showing how ALI is shaping the future of food by embedding aquatic animal welfare into laws, standards, markets, and mindsets. From scientific thought leadership and movement-building to corporate and policy reform, our work so far this year has not only elevated aquatic animals on the global agenda, but also positioned ALI as a trusted agent of change. In the months ahead, we will continue to translate recognition into protection and protection into prioritization, ensuring welfare is woven into the structures that govern seafood production. As we prepare for the upcoming release of our 2025 Benchmark, continued GDST engagement, and new opportunities for impact across public, private, and policy spheres, we invite partners, funders, and advocates to join us in this critical work. Together, we can turn ripples of progress into waves of systemic change for aquatic animals and for the future of food.

Slovenia Passes Law to Ban Cages for Hens by 2028 Slovenia has officially passed a law banning cage farming for hens, with a full phase-out by the end of 2028. It applies to laying hens, pullets, and all parent flocks.  The new very ambitious law passed on Thursday, 24th July. In a fourth, and final, vote by the National Assembly, overturning a veto passed by the National council. For farm animals, beyond the cage ban, the new legislation brings two unprecedented wins: * A ban on piglet castration without pain relief (requiring analgesia and anaesthesia). The procedure can only be done by a vet and no longer by the farmers themselves. * State-funded sanctuaries for horses and other equines. Retired police horses and equines confiscated by inspection are the responsibility of the state. And will now have a chance at life in state-funded farm animal sanctuaries. The fight happened on multiple fronts. But thanks to the massive support of the Slovenian public for cage-free, achieved by relentless campaigning, the cage ban ended up carrying the law. And the opposition to progressive reform was overrun.  This is more than a policy win — it is a sign from yet another country that legislative change is achievable for farm animals and worth persuing. Additionally, a cage ban in another EU member state paves the way for a cage-free Europe. Best, Samo Curk,  Executive Director at AETP

Hello everyone! We’re excited to announce a new commitment: VERDE Natural Market has committed to selling only 100% cage-free eggs across its four stores in Lima since 2025. Commitment link: You can see the publication of the commitment in this LINK. Scale: National (Perú) Timeline:  At Compromiso Verde, we reached out in July 2025, and after a couple of emails, we had a meeting where the commitment was agreed on. ARBA has sent emails over the past 8 months, with some emails being opened but without receiving any response. Who: Compromiso Verde and ARBA Unsuccessful Tactics: None. Successful Tactics: Sharing recent cage-free commitments made by retail companies in Peru to generate momentum and encourage the company to follow their lead. Scalability: This commitment is important because it comes from a retail company with four stores. Follow Up: We will stay in touch to request reports and validate compliance with the commitment.  Thank you!  

AI is advancing incredibly fast. We might see AI systems that are better than most humans at many tasks within a few years. This would change things drastically for animals in factory farms, in the wild, and beyond… and therefore animal advocates’ strategies should change, too. In this post, I argue: 1. Based on recent trends in AI capabilities and advances in training techniques, truly transformative AI could arrive soon, e.g. by 2030. 2. This matters for animal advocates (if you agree it could arrive soon), because transformative AI will change the game for animals—for better or worse. 3. Animal advocates might reasonably: 1. Optimise harder for immediate results (not results in e.g. 5+ years’ time) 2. Predict how AI will change things, and try to make that go well for animals 3. Try to increase the concern that AIs or their controllers show for animals 4. Focus on building capacity to prepare for TAI 5. Shift to AI welfare, to protect potential sentient AIs from suffering 6. Shift towards all-inclusive AI safety But this is not something that animal advocates can afford to just ignore. You can change your own strategies and next steps in the light of this. This post is intended as a bit of a wake up call. For more measured, sensible posts, see here and here instead. Written in a personal capacity; I’m not speaking for the views of others at the organisations I work at. Initially prepared as an impromptu talk at the AI, Animals, & Digital Minds unconference. Thanks to Amber Ace for doing much of the writing. Thanks to Lizka Vaintrob, Engin Arıkan, Constance Li, Max Taylor, Neil Dullaghan, Kevin Xia, Lauren Mee, Renata Scarellis, James Ozden, Michael St Jules, and Ben West for feedback and comments on the draft. All mistakes are my own. Transformative AI may arrive soon 'Transformative AI' (TAI) refers to AI that is so broadly skilled that its use would drastically alter global economic, political, and social structures, potentiall

This week, The Los Angeles Times broke the news of Animal Outlook's investigation into foie gras sales at all 11 Wild Fork Foods stores across southern California, in apparent violation of the state's ban. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2025-08-01/fois-gras-was-banned-in-california-in-2023-why-is-it-being-sold-in-socal-stores Wild Fork Foods is a subsidiary of JBS, the world's largest meat company, which has the capacity to slaughter around 14 million birds and more than 75 thousand heads of cattle per day and has faced numerous accusations, including contributing to Amazon deforestation by purchasing cattle raised on illegally cleared land and paying off meat inspectors and political corruption. Animal Outlook's legal team sent over 20 memos to local law enforcement urging them to investigate the company for violations of California Health and Safety Code Section 25982. This law explicitly prohibits selling products resulting from force-feeding birds to enlarge their livers. The foie gras was produced by La Belle Farm in upstate New York, a well-known defender of forced feeding. The foie gras is described as "humanely raised" on Wild fork's website, most likely due to La Belle's use of plastic force feeding tubes instead of metal ones.  Neither Wild Fork Foods, nor JBS, has commented on the investigation. Although the foie gras has been pulled from the company's shelves and is no longer available for sale online to California zip codes.  A store employee told our investigator that the foie gras had been pulled because it had "gone bad". In 2018, the LA District Attorney reached a $100k settlement with Amazon over alleged unlawful foie gras sales in California. 🚫