PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Sports fishing: bad for fish and other living things
by Voices For Animals Wednesday, Jul. 27, 2005 at 8:27 PM
voicesforanimals@gmail.com 1-877-321-4VFA

An explanation of why sport fishing is cruel and details of the protest against the Bassmaster tournament on July 30th,

PROTEST BASSMASTERS FISHING TOURNAMENT THIS SATURDAY

 
The 2005 Bassmaster Classic Fishing Tournament, the self-described Super Bowl of Fishing, is being held in Pittsburgh this year.  Starting July 29th, the tournament will go on for 3 days and fishermen from all over the country will be catching the biggest fish they can in order to be declared winner of the tournament for a cash prize.  It is an event that will receive national coverage and will be broadcast live on ESPN.    The weigh-in being held at the Mellon Arena each day will draw in thousands of fishermen and spectators, and Voices for Animals is holding a demonstration at the weigh-in this Saturday to protest this tournament.  We need everyone who cares about animals to come out and join us to show resistance to this tournament of cruelty. 
 
WHEN:  Saturday, July 30th, 2:00-5:00 PM

WHERE: Mellon Arena, Downtown, Centre Avenue Entrance

 
The Problem with Fishing

Fish and Pain

Many people who engage in recreational fishing often claim that fish are incapable of feeling pain, that the hook puncturing their faces causes no discomfort.  But the fact that fish experience pain is backed up by both casual observations and scientific studies. 

When hauled out of their natural environment by a hook embedded in their delicate mouths, fish thrash, writhe, and struggle in an attempt to escape.  They gasp desperately in the air, unable to breathe out of water, as they slowly begin to suffocate.  Like any other animals, their struggles indicate an aversion to pain and a strong will to survive.

Anatomically, physiologically and biologically speaking, scientists have found that the pain systems in fish are virtually the same as in birds and mammals.  They too experience increases in heart and breathing rates and release adrenaline and pain-reducing substances like enkephalins and endorphins.  Marine science professor Tom Hopkins of the University of Alabama likens the experience of a being hooked to "dentistry without Novacain, drilling into exposed nerves."  The physical pain is also accompanied by psychological distress, as researchers at Edinburgh University found that fish engage in "a 'rocking' motion strikingly similar to the kind of motion seen in stressed higher vertebrates like mammals."

            "It is unthinkable that fish do not have pain
            receptors; they need them in order to survive."
            - Professor Frank Hird, Melbourne University

Besides causing a great deal of physical pain and emotional distress, catch-and-release fishing seriously compromises the ability of fish to survive.  The stress of the struggle and suffocation leaves their muscles dangerously full of lactic acid, their bodies depleted of oxygen, and their delicate fins and mouths damaged.  In addition, their natural mucus-like coating that helps stave off infection is destroyed by being handled.  According to a study by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, 43% of fish die within six days of being released.

Fish and Intelligence

An increasing number of scientific studies are discovering surprising facts about the intelligence possessed by fish.  In behavioral studies, fish have demonstrated complex learning modes such as operant conditioning, serial reversal learning, probability learning, and avoidance learning.  Socially they are also quite complex; they communicate with low-frequency sounds inaudible to humans, they recognize other individuals, form social hierarchies, track relationships, and cooperate to catch food and investigate dangers.  British scientists have even described fish as "pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation" and "exhibiting stable cultural traditions."  Some fish even use tools (a South African species uses leaves to carry its eggs to safety), others have even been seen gardening by promoting the growth of certain algaes while weeding out others, and others use their lips and tongues to build intricate nests and shelters.  Clearly, the mental life of fish is more complex than generally believed.


"[Fish's] cognitive powers match or exceed those of 'higher' vertebrates, including non-human primates."
            - New Scientist magazine, June 12, 2004

Unfortunately, fish aren't the only ones who suffer from fishing.  Many birds, turtles, seals and other "non-target" creatures are maimed and killed by discarded or lost lines, hooks and tackle used in recreational fishing.  In light of this and the anecdotal and scientific evidence about fish, one has to question whether it is morally acceptable to inflict such pain and suffering for mere "sport."

www.vfa-online.org

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