Here we go again

Biologist Victoria Braithwaite explores the question of fish pain and fish suffering, explaining what science can now tell us about fish behavior, and examining the related ethical questions about how we should treat these animals.

She concludes that scientific evidence suggests that we should widen to fish the protection currently given to birds and animals.

LINK

Comments

[ambidextrous kreh]

do worms feel pain?

[jgb]

Using the term "pain" (a term that describes a human experience) when refering to fish does not really fit. "Pain" includes not only the stimulus of tissue damage but the associated emotional response. The term "pain" is being used incorrectly and should be replaced with "stimuli". Fish are incapable of an emotional response. Other biologists have responded to her research in the past by pointing out her incorrect terminology.

[Moose]

Because she is a PETA supportter. That's why she uses the word pain.

[quagmire]

Emotional response is indicated by stress response. How you define emotion is up to you. But given the strong stress response by fish to being caught, handled, etc, I would be pretty confident saying that fish feel pain. How did peta get dragged into the discussion? They have nothing to do with the issue.when was the last time peta used science? Never. Peta is to science as BP is to safety. You get my point. I have read a lot of studies about fish stress and the pain debate. If you educate yourself on the available research, you will undoubtedly conclude that fish can feel pain. What you decide to do about it is up to you. Screaming about peta, homosexuals, liberals, etc, being to blame for a scientific study only speaks volumes of the level of education you hold.

[pleeth]

only liberal,privately schooled, homosexual,fish feel pain....just got done reading a study about it.

[Suckit]

Suckit Bitches, stop fishing if you overgeneralize all this shit about PETA and pain, redneck this, Yankee that, harvest only, C&R. Stay off the river then, and write a book about it and do some research by yourself. Does shocking the rivers for fish counts hurt the fish? ODFW does it. Does walking off the trail harm the ecosystem? There are all sorts of issues, this being one of them but ethics is the main issue here. So do what you do, go fish a closed section of river and shove your head up your ass and I hope you get caught and all your gear taken and once again, Suckit Bitches!

[taylorgilbert]

who really cares if fish feel pain? i mean im not trying to torture animals but wether or not a fish feels pain isnt going to stop me from trying to give him a new piercing. in the same way that sometimes i shoot deer in the spin do they suffer ? sure but i still hunt. im ok with C & R or keeping fish to eat much in the same way i have no issue regarding spin fishing vs fly fishing. we as anglers need to stop taking pot shots at our own an stand together against the antis. as were all sort of under fire from a growing number of antis we should let people hunt/fish the ways that they want save for endangered animals. and if you dont wanna hunt fish or want to fish or hunt a certain way thats fine just dont tell me how i have to do it.