Fish have feelings too

[jack1747]

PETA Campaign Pitches Fish As Smart

Tue Nov 16, 4:05 PM ET

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

NEW YORK - Touting tofu chowder and vegetarian sushi as alternatives, animal-rights activists have launched a novel campaign arguing that fish — contrary to stereotype — are intelligent, sensitive animals no more deserving of being eaten than a pet dog or cat.

Called the Fish Empathy Project, the campaign reflects a strategy shift by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as it challenges a diet component widely viewed as nutritious and uncontroversial.


"No one would ever put a hook through a dog's or cat's mouth," said Bruce Friedrich, PETA's director of vegan outreach. "Once people start to understand that fish, although they come in different packaging, are just as intelligent, they'll stop eating them."


The campaign is in its infancy and will face broad skepticism. Major groups such as the American Heart Association (news - web sites) recommend fish as part of a healthy diet; some academics say it is wrong to portray the intelligence and pain sensitivity of fish as comparable to mammals.


"Fish are very complex organisms that do all sorts of fascinating things," said University of Wyoming neuroscientist James Rose. "But to suggest they know they what's happening to them and worry about it, that's just not the case."


PETA, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., has campaigned for years against sport fishing, challenging claims by Rose and others that fish caught by anglers do not feel pain. PETA also has joined other critics in decrying the high levels of mercury or other toxins in many fish and the pollution discharged by many fish farms.


The Empathy Project is a departure in two respects — attempting to depict the standard practices of commercial fishing as cruel and seeking to convince consumers that there are ethical reasons for not eating fish.


"Fish are so misunderstood because they're so far removed from our daily lives," said Karin Robertson, 24, the Empathy Project manager and daughter of an Indiana fisheries biologist. "They're such interesting, fascinating individuals, yet they're so incredibly abused."


The project was inspired by several recent scientific studies — widely reported in Britain but little-noticed in the United States — detailing facets of fish intelligence.


Oxford University researcher Theresa Burt de Perera, for example, reported that the blind Mexican cave fish is able to interpret water pressure changes to construct a detailed mental map of its surroundings.


"Most people dismiss fish as dimwitted pea-brains. ... Yet this is a great fallacy," wrote University of Edinburgh biologist Culum Brown in the June edition of New Scientist. "In many areas, such as memory, their cognitive powers match or exceed those of 'higher' vertebrates, including non-human primates."


Chris Glass of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences in Massachusetts led another recent study, showing how North Sea haddock developed abilities to avoid trawlers' nets.


"There's no doubt that fish of all shapes and forms are capable of learning fairly complex tasks," Glass said. "They can learn from their environment and experience."


Yet Glass declined to endorse the don't-eat-fish appeals.


"We don't want to be caught between warring factions," he said. "We're interested in helping the fisheries industry do a responsible job."


To press their argument, PETA activists plan demonstrations starting next month at selected seafood restaurants nationwide. PETA also will urge changes in commercial fishing practices, for example proposing that trawler crews stun fish before cutting them up.


Friedrich questioned why there is popular support for sparing marine mammals — dolphins and porpoises — yet minimal concern for species like tuna, "whose suffering would warrant felony animal cruelty charges if they were mammals."


Fish-welfare rules would be a new realm for U.S. commercial fishermen. The National Fisheries Institute, which represents them, has pledged to help sustain fish stocks but its members have never faced cruelty regulations regarding their catch.

"It's irresponsible to discourage people from eating fish at a time when doctors and dietitians advise eating it twice a week," said institute president John Connelly. "If anything, we should be eating more fish."

Friedrich acknowledges the difficulty of changing long-held customs, but thinks his project is worthwhile. "We'd rather go too far than not far enough," he said.

[Black Irish]

Does a beer can feel pain too ? Just in case, I always numb them up in the refrigerator first .

[stuff]

cant ya hear them scream when you pop the tops  

[Crabslayer]

I guess they don't believe that Jesus fed fish to the masses.  I remeber PETA one time ran a billboard advertisement campaign that Jesus was a vegetarian.  They had to pull the adds because it pissed off a lot of Christians and were threaten with a lawsuit.

[Crabpop]

Well, now, I'm a firm believer in PETA -- People Eating Tasty Animals.  Been doin' it all my life and don't expect to stop now. Fish feel pain??  Of course they do.  So do crabs when you drop them in the steamer.  The steer that provided the delicious roast beef that we had last weekend also felt pain, albeit momentarily, when it was shot in the brain at the slaughter house.  Just about every living thing has nerves throughout its body and these transmit pain to the brain.  I seem to recall my wife saying that it hurt like heck when she delivered our son and daughter.  Are we supposed to stop doing that TOO!?!  The people at PETA have way too much time on their misguided hands.  Pure idiocy!  Now, PETA, go ahead and try to block my way the next time I go to my favorite seafood restaurant.  You have not yet known real pain...

Crabpop

[Darrell]

Pityfull :(Imean why do we have teeth to eat meat with? Cainine teeth that is.. Oh well . there was a article in the Washington Post yesterday.. about trapping river otters in the Potomac.. seems like the pelts go now for about 100 dollars plus at the fur auctions..good money for the trappers. Now the traps they use hold the otters under water and drown them..The article was belive it or not not disparaging to the trappers..just the facts.. but I know the aim.. The PETA people will be real mad about it.. Maybe they will forget about the fish for a while..I have seen these people protesting hunting..making noise in the woods.I* can understand them having feelings about animals..fish..what they may not understand is that all sportspeople do..in thir own way..

[mikesr]

"People Eating Tasty Animals"
 Crabpop I almost spit out my beverage. LMFAO

[HenPot]

A few weeks ago, not sure the exact date, the local paper here, had a article about people protesting at State Fish and Game hearing.  It did interview a lady, and she voiced her concern over the states deer hunting practice.  No real big deal.

On the same page of the paper, there was seperate article about a auto crash that was caused by a deer.  Unfortunately the deer was killed, the ironic part, is the name of the lady driving the car, was the same name of the lady protesting the upcoming deer hunting season.

[jack1747]

Charlie,  today at work i used your peta line.  I was sternly corrected to the actually wording by a yound fellow.    I should have know better since I know he is a vegetarian.

[kingcrabber]

you're right Kirb...on that same note..there is a huge park  called Pennypack in the northwest corner of the city of Philly that is positively overun by deer...all the surrounding developments all complain,year-after year of how much destruction they cause to their properties as far as eating flowers,shrubsetc...and everyyear City Council has hearing on how to cull the herd..this year,under close monitering from the PA Game commision,they wanted to have a lottery and hand out 2-300 bow lisenses to harvest that many deer....the residents around the parkcomplained not that it would be dangerous,but they thought it was cruel to kill deer that way....so they put a kibash on the whole thing....people want their expensive landscape toys,yet aren't willing to have deer "slaughtered"(in their words)that way....they don'r realize that PA has a week in Oct just for Bow season...so now all the bow hunters in the city take their money and spend it in upstate PA where people are happy to have em...go figure

[Crabpop]

Way to go, Jack!!!  Vegematarians don't know what they're missing...

Crabpop

[Black Irish]

We had fish again last night. If t hose flounder were so smart, how come they ended up as the main course?

[Crabslayer]

My fish after they are fillet, don't feel a thing.  

[Phillyguy]

I'll become a vegetarian as soon as the rest of the animal kingdom does!  Do crabs humanly/painlessly kill before eating?

NATURE IS BRUTAL!!!

To me Ethical Treatment of Animals means never kill for the pleasure of killing.  I don't mean you can not enjoy the hunt, but never loose sight of the fact that another animal, no matter how insignificate, lost it life.  

PETA is a great example of knowing the agenda of an orgainzation before you support it.  At first they were against using animals in testing and the clubing of those cute little white seals in Alaska.  They got a lot of press and support.  "How could anyone be against PETA, they care so much about thoes dog-cute seals."  Now we know they are a bunch of nut-jobs who want cars band because the kill poor inocent bugs.  "The poor bug is just minding its own business flying down the hiway, when you in your big bad SUV come screeming down the road and BAME, the poor bug."

[kingcrabber]

PG ..you're right..to add to what I said earlier,these types of people wanted the City to tranqualize the deer,place them in trucks,haul them upstate,and release them in their natural environment......the City is so broke,ther're thinkin of laying off policemen and firefighters....and these yoyos want to save their shrubbery to save some deer...but when their house or luved ones are at harm,and noone is around to answer their call for help..hope they remember that they saved Bambi ..nuff said

[fishking]

These idiots from peta are the same ones who go out protest for a womans right to have an abortion
() !!!!!! One more point  for these nitwits to consider,       all of the things that these vegetarians eat were alive when they mercilessly hacked down by some cruel farmer!!!!  As the guy from Philly said as soon as a fish, crab, oyster, eel ,clam ,etc is born into the ecosystem it becomes fodder for some other critter!!!!nuff said,can somebody help me down from the soapbox!!!!!

[jack1747]

can somebody help me down from the soapbox!!!!!

I just did.    Welcome Fish.  Welcome aboard

[procrabber]

NO BRAIN = NO PAIN!!!!  fish do not have the part of the brain that is known to feel pain as we know it.  of course they react to stimuli, but the reaction is less voluntary.  like when you are scared by someone jumping from behind a door, or your doc knocks your knee with that stupid little hammer.  in the terry scheivo case, she had less brain remaining than fish do.  fish do have memory, and sense urges, like eat, swim over there, migrate...

[singlguy9]

[dang] tree huggers................I can't til' this weekend; I'm going to the MD Mountains to hook some poor, innocent trout!!!  I hope I don't hurt the feelings of their surviving loved ones.   

mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm gooooooood.........pan-fried trout!!

 

[CRABGUY]

IM A VEGETARIAN BY PROXY
MOST OF THE ANIMALS I EAT ARE (WERE) VEGETARIANS