PETA angling for fishermen to be kind to fish

[edczxcvbnm]

<a href="http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-fish25.html">Source</a>

PETA angling for fishermen to be kind to fish

January 25, 2006

BY GARY WISBY Environment Reporter
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If we must kill fish, we should do it with kindness, PETA believes.

To alleviate the finny critters' pain and suffering, Illinois should require fishermen to follow a "Code of Angling Ethics" before they're issued a license, the animal rights group said Tuesday.

"Just like dogs and cats, fish feel pain, so if you wouldn't hook dogs through the mouth and drag them behind your car, you shouldn't hook fish through the mouth and drag them behind your boat," said Karin Robertson of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

'Do we have to have a paramedic along?'

Robertson, PETA's fish empathy project manager, said more than 500 research papers attest to fish intelligence. "They use tools -- there is a South African fish that lays its eggs on a leaf and transports them around on it to protect them from predators and strong currents," she said. "Fish socialize with each other and have very long-term memories."

The code, established by the National Marine Fisheries Service, urges careful handling and release of any unwanted fish.

Being hooked and lifted out of the water is a "horrible, painful, traumatic" experience for fish, Robertson said. Fishermen should use barbless hooks and handle fish with wet hands. Catch-and-release anglers should move quickly. "The longer fish are out of the water, the less oxygen they get and the more likely they are to die," she said.

Jack Vadas, owner of Vets Live Bait & Tackle on the Southeast Side, asked, "Do we have to have a paramedic along so fish can survive when we put them back in the water?"

Animals were put on this Earth for a purpose, he said. "The good Lord knew we were going to eat them. Who killed the fatted calf? What were those 12 apostles?"

Fish feel no pain, Vadas said. "How could you prove it?" he asked. "Fish can't say 'ouch!'"

Field Museum fish expert Philip Willink essentially agreed. "Fish react to stimulus, but so do plants and bacteria," he said. Is wounding a fish any different from mowing your lawn? "It doesn't appear to be -- but that doesn't mean it isn't."

A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which issues fishing licenses, said, "We did receive the letter from PETA and are currently reviewing it."

To me, this has got to be one of the funniest things PETA has done. The title of the article says it XD

[Skarr]

You have to be kidding me.

[The Man]

What can I say? I'm all for the humane treatment of animals, but sometimes PETA just take the piss. That said, it's pretty ignorant to believe that fish feel no pain just because they can't say "ouch."

[Shlup]

Doesn't seem unreasonable to me. Which is odd, since PETA is for psychos.

Of course I <i>do</i> think mowing your lawn is a bit cruel. xD

[-N-]

Nice pun.

[Giga Guess]

Dear lord....

I really wish I had something other to say, but words fail me....

[MoonsEcho]

PETA has got to be the stupidest organization and gathering of idiots on the face of this planet. Ever.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I do like how the article seems to be angled in favor of the PETA. Many of the opposition quotes are rather ignorant.

I do love the paramedic comment though.

[Raistlin]

This is especially stupid when you note that it's currently up in the air whether fish can actually feel pain or not.

[ffxfreak93]

now tifalockhart7 gonna come here and say she agrees and go on and on about animal cruelty

SMURF!!!

[Agent Proto]

Is this a joke? XD

[ffxfreak93]

and you think spears and knives don't hurt animals?(back in caveman times)

EXACTLY:)

[Xaven]

Good for the fish. :)

It always brought me to tears to see anything (alive and intelligent or not) suffer, so this is good for me. Then again, I'm sorta crazy on this matter.

Edit: POST #1,000!!

[Noj_R]

PETA has got to be the stupidest organization and gathering of idiots on the face of this planet. Ever.

I agree, it is pretty pathetic. These people DO NOT care about the animals. They all live in mansions with six figure sum pay checks. I on the other hand, live on the west coast and have commercial fished before ( my dad owns fishing business ). The fish are not in pain, they were made to be eaten, they like to be eaten, they like knowing their purpose is being fulfilled. Its only when people interrupt the way things are supposed to happen that things get hairy...

The real truth is that these people seriously have no idea what its like to be a commercial fisherman. They dont know what its like to have someone bust in with a load of BS and make it ten times harder to bring in a living. Hopefully they'll mess with the wrong people some day...

PETA does not care about animals...only themselves...:eep:
This comes from the son of a fisherman...so bite me...

[nik0tine]

Fish feel no pain, Vadas said. "How could you prove it?" he asked. "Fish can't say 'ouch!'"hahaha.


The fish are not in pain, they were made to be eaten, they like to be eaten, they like knowing their purpose is being fulfilled.hahaha.


PETA does not care about animals...only themselves...
This comes from the son of a fisherman...so bite me...Because you're the son of a fisherman, you are somehow more qualified than others to /xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif-talk PETA?

...hahaha.


Treating animals humanely is a personal responsibility. You don't have to take precautions to minimize an animals suffering. You're just a bad person if you don't. Simple as that.

[edczxcvbnm]

The fish are not in pain, they were made to be eaten, they like to be eaten, they like knowing their purpose is being fulfilled.

This has got to be the funniest thing I have read. Its just the way you put it that makes it so funny XD

I also believe PETA was refering to people who fish for sport and not those who do it for a living in this case.

[Zell's Fists of Fury]

Puh-LEASE.
What a bunch of bologna. BOWL. LOG. NA.
When does PETA go after bears and lions n' such for eating animals alive?

[Old Manus]

Something's fishy here

[Markus. D]

next thing it will be "cruelty" harvesting live crops

[The Jamie Star Scenario]

Just like dogs and cats, fish feel pain, so if you wouldn't hook dogs through the mouth and drag them behind your carHaha! I do not conform to your silly assumptions.

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/6425/02005450212003uw.th.jpg (http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=02005450212003uw.jpg)

However I do not usually drag them behind cars, dogs make better shark bait!

However you should learn from this kiddies! (http://www.fishinghurts.com/pdfs/DaddyKillsAnimals.pdf)

[Resha]

The fish are not in pain, they were made to be eaten, they like to be eaten, they like knowing their purpose is being fulfilled. Its only when people interrupt the way things are supposed to happen that things get hairy...
Well, a fisherman (or his son) would hardly be the best person to empathise with a fish. Let me tell you, if I ever metamorphose into a fish one day, I will not intend to be eaten and I won't like being eaten. (Hypothetical situation :D)

Why shouldn't we be nice to fish? It's the least we can do for them before we eat them.

Soon, people will have to become vegetarians, because the guilt of slaughtering animals to stuff our ugly faces will become unbearable. Then, we'll have to stop eating completely because of cruelty inflicted on plants when we guzzle them. Then the human race will die out, unless we resort to cannibalism. :grinpink: I assure you, this will happen. :(

[Pheesh]

Soon, people will have to become vegetarians, because the guilt of slaughtering animals to stuff our ugly faces will become unbearable. Then, we'll have to stop eating completely because of cruelty inflicted on plants when we guzzle them. Then the human race will die out, unless we resort to cannibalism. :grinpink: I assure you, this will happen. :(

Yeah, as soon as we start to feel sorry for the inoccent people that get bombs dropped on them. Or the people in africa without basic health care of food. Or single mothers living below the poverty line. Why don't PETA start feeling sorry for them. They piss me off.

Stay Essential
EE

[Mirage]

Fish = food. Humans eat food in order to survive.
I don't see the big deal. It's not like the deer in the woods find pleasure through getting shot either. Not all shots kill instantly.
I don't care as long as the hunters don't take pleasure from killing their prey. I'm against hunting as a recreational activity.

[Neco Arc]

umm... ha ha?

[Rusty]

If PETA ran the world we wouldn't be allowed to do anything on grass, because we may cause it pain and trauma.

Anyway, I go fishing. I don't know whether or not it hurts the fish when they have a hook through their mouth. But truthfully it doesn't bother me. I'm sure if I didn't let the thing die, some other bigger fish will be sure to eat it.

[Raistlin]

I think the article's a little biased, as all those against that law are idiots. Like the "fish can't say 'ouch' person." However, it <i>is</i> currently debateable whether fish can feel pain or not. Currently, it's really only known that fish lack the portion of the brain which usually controls physical sensations (such as pain).

[War Angel]

I think I'll eat one of those activists, one day, just for kicks.

[eestlinc]

This is the most amazing thing I've ever heard PETA do. I might donate money to them just for being so creative.

[DarkLadyNyara]

I have no comment...

[Elite Lord Sigma]

Three words. What. The. Hell.

[Anaisa]

Yeah, as soon as we start to feel sorry for the inoccent people that get bombs dropped on them. Or the people in africa without basic health care of food. Or single mothers living below the poverty line. Why don't PETA start feeling sorry for them. They piss me off.

Stay Essential
EE
There are other charities that deal with them. An how do you know that every member of PETA doesn't care about poor single mothers, and people that get bombs dropped on them, or people in Africa who don't have basic health care or food? Saying PETA should campaign for them, is like me calling the NSPCC and berating them for not caring about the animals, it would be ridiculous. An I think fishing should be stopped completely, its cruel.

[NeoTifa]

<!--Pleasantly
Ejaculating
To
Anus-->*snip* we don't need that. -eestlinc


psh those dorks were outside a Frickers stand at the X-Fest last year and they gave out books and dvd's to everybody. the dvd just had bands they payed protesting cruelty to animals. twas gay.

i heard on the radio that a PETA guy legally changed his name to Kentuckyfriedcruelty.com . that's his real, legal name. XD omfg jebus! whats this world come to?!

[Hawkeye]

Children are dying in the world and we're worrying about fish feeling pain.

[Momiji]

*takes a butcher knife and chops a fish's head off, cleans it, cooks it, eats it*

What were you saying now?

[BlueMageOne]

I don't know what to say. PETA are quite the extremists but I find myself unable to judge them because I am an animal lover, and if their outrageous behaviour saves even one animal (no matter what it is) then I can't condemn them.

[The Man]

Children are dying in the world and we're worrying about fish feeling pain.Yeah, that's pretty much my stance on this as well.

[Shlup]

That can be said about so many things. Children are dying in the world and we're worried about if our shoes go with out outfit. Children are dying in the world and we're worried about whether we should get soup or salad with our steak dinner. Thousands and thousands of fish are being killed without any throught to whether or not they're dying in terror and pain and I spent fiteen minutes in the bathroom this afternoon doing my make-up and hair. What's your point?

This thread has a lot of stupid points in it. xP

[theundeadhero]

If I ever metamorphisize into a fish I hope somebody catches and then eats me. Then I can be happy that I've fulfilled my purpose in life.

[The Man]

That can be said about so many things. Children are dying in the world and we're worried about if our shoes go with out outfit. Children are dying in the world and we're worried about whether we should get soup or salad with our steak dinner. Thousands and thousands of fish are being killed without any throught to whether or not they're dying in terror and pain and I spent fiteen minutes in the bathroom this afternoon doing my make-up and hair. What's your point?

This thread has a lot of stupid points in it. xPMy point is that there are things that are worth crusading for in your spare time, and children dying seem a lot more important than fish feeling pain.

but ehh. When I compare this thread to the religion and other politics debates I'm engaging in... I have to say my care level is at about zero. xD

[eestlinc]

everyone takes everything too seriously in this thread. except TUH.

[Noj_R]

Because you're the son of a fisherman, you are somehow more qualified than others to /xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif-talk PETA?

...hahaha..

No I absolutely do not. But I do know from personal experience that having people like PETA running around makes life hell. You guys probably wouldnt know, and if you do great :D we can have tea and talk smack about 'em!

theres some funny stuff on here...lol

[The Man]

everyone takes everything too seriously in this thread. except TUH.
actually, yeah, eest is right.

[Rengori]

All I have to say is

:exdee:

That is all.

[ffxfreak93]

i'm not becoming a vegetarian PETA,so SMURF YOU!!

[eestlinc]

thank you for that brilliant contribution, fffreak.

[ffxfreak93]

no offense,but you put 3 f's

just sayin!

[nik0tine]

Why do I have to worry about starving children before I have to worry about animal cruelty? Any decent person would be worried about both issues simultaneously. The whole "There are worse things going on in the world, so we shouldn't be concerned about this issue" argument does not hold.


no offense,but you put 3 f's

just sayin!Good thing you pointed that out!

[Resha]

No way man! I totally take this thread seriously! I'm willing to lay my life down for the fish if need be!

:mad2:

[The Man]

Why do I have to worry about starving children before I have to worry about animal cruelty? Any decent person would be worried about both issues simultaneously. The whole "There are worse things going on in the world, so we shouldn't be concerned about this issue" argument does not hold.A fair point, I suppose. But I still find this whole thing to be funny. :monster:

[Calliope]

Yeah, there is always going to be something relatively worse, so why bother at all, right?

I have almost no experience with PETA at all, despite years of hyperactivism.

*goes to google peta*