Every year billions of fish die in silence, still considered today as resources and not as sentient beings. With the global campaign #22Minutos, the Animal Law Focus organization, supported by the Aquatic Animal Alliance and Vegan Marketing, invites us to look beneath the surface of the water and recognize an undeniable scientific reality: fish feel pain.
The name of the initiative is inspired by the average time it takes for a fish to die of asphyxiation once removed from its natural environment: twenty-two minutes. Twenty-two minutes of agony, panic and desperate efforts to breathe. An eternity for an animal that, until today, has had no voice or protection.
Science confirms the pain of fish
A recent study published in Scientific Reports from the Welfare Footprint Institute has provided numerical proof of this suffering. Analyzing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), one of the most widespread species on farms, researchers have found that these animals can remain conscious for up to 22 minutes, with an average of 10 minutes of active pain.
The most impressive fact? Suffering increases proportionally to weight: 24 minutes for every kilogram. Scientists, using the Welfare Footprint Framework, were able to measure not only the presence of pain, but also its duration and intensity, a parameter that makes different fishing and farming practices comparable. The conclusions are clear: even the phases preceding death – such as transportation or manipulation – generate an accumulation of stress and fear which multiplies the burden of suffering.
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#22Minutos: a campaign that asks for empathy
The movement does not limit itself to denouncing, but proposes a change of perspective. Through initiatives such as the “22 Minutos Sin Terror” recipe book, the organization invites people to reduce fish consumption and choose 100% plant-based alternatives, demonstrating that an ethical diet can also be tasty and sustainable.
The campaign also includes the international webinar Sentience in Fishes: Safeguarding Fish Welfare Across Different Contextswhich will bring together scientists and activists to discuss more advanced conservation policies. An essential question remains: if science has already proven that fish suffer, how long will it take us to recognize their voices?
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