‘Fish Empathy Quilt’ May Blanket Destin City Hall for World Oceans Day

For Immediate Release:
May 27, 2025

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

Ahead of World Oceans Day on June 8—which inspires action to protect our oceans—PETA sent a letter this morning to Destin Mayor Bobby Wagner offering PETA’s famous Fish Empathy Quilt for display at city hall to remind residents and visitors to the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” that the best way to protect the ocean and the animals who live there is to look at fish as someone, not something.

The Fish Empathy Quilt measures more than 300 square feet and comprises more than 100 unique, handcrafted squares from kind people, including cartoonist Harry Bliss and oceanographic explorer and film producer Jean-Michel Cousteau. PETA’s quilt has made quite a splash around the country, including a monthlong stay at Eureka City Hall in California.

“Fish are individuals who feel pain, form complex social relationships, and help make our oceans the beautiful and fascinating ecosystems we all depend on,” says PETA Sr. Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA’s Fish Empathy Quilt pays tribute to the trillions of fish who have been needlessly killed at a devastating cost to the environment and reminds us that fish belong in the ocean, not at the end of an angler’s hook.”  

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Wagner follows.

May 27 2025

The Honorable Bobby Wagner

Mayor of Destin

Dear Mayor Wagner:

Hello! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters worldwide, including hundreds of thousands in Florida—ahead of World Oceans Day (June 8) with a suggestion we hope will net your approval, as it would encourage kindness and compassion to all. Since the best way to protect the ocean and the animals who live in it is to look at fish as someone, not something, and the ocean as a place to protect, we’d love to loan the city—at no cost—a fascinating item to display in Destin City Hall: the world’s first and only Fish Empathy Quilt. It has already made its way all over the country and even overseas, attracting viewers everywhere it goes. Tourists love it.

A vibrant, creative depiction of marine life, PETA’s Fish Empathy Quilt features more than 100 unique squares contributed by individuals around the globe—including a few famous ones, such as cartoonist Harry Bliss and oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau. Collectively, they’ve created an eclectic masterpiece that continues to attract attention as people’s concern about the plight of animals and the state of the ocean increases. It consists of six sections of varying dimensions, which can be displayed separately or clipped together as one large exhibit measuring over 300 square feet.

Every year, abandoned commercial fishing gear kills and mutilates millions of sea animals. Even though fish can feel pain just as mammals and birds do, humans kill more fish in a year than all other animals combined. Marine scientists estimate that 75% of the world’s fisheries are either fully exploited or overexploited or have collapsed and that only 1% are recovering from depletion. More and more people are concerned these days about the unsustainable global fishing industry, and the market for vegan seafood—including tasty vegan versions of fish, crab, lobster, and even caviar—is projected to reach $1.6 billion in the next 10 years. PETA’s Fish Empathy Quilt beautifully reflects this awareness.

We have chosen Destin because your city already does wonderful things to protect the ocean through various initiatives, including ongoing beach cleanups and restoration projects. Destin City Hall would be the perfect next stop for the quilt. We’d be happy to offer a delicious vegan shrimp and crab cake feast for you, your staff, and everyone else in attendance at the first council meeting when the quilt is displayed. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Very truly yours,