Fish are treated worse than just about any other animal. They have sharp hooks stuck in their mouth and throat, they are hauled from the water by gaff hooks thrust into their bodies, and they die slowly by suffocation on land or being crushed by the weight of other fish in commercial nets. Imagine if this were done to a dog or cat. Just because fish can't scream or show facial expressions doesn't mean they don't feel pain.
Fish are not included in the Animal Welfare Act in South Australia, so they have no protection against cruelty. This exclusion is based on convenience and pressure from the fishing lobby rather than scientific fact.
Silent screaming - photo by Patty Mark
Even in humans, it is difficult to know when someone else is feeling pain. If someone says they have a headache, there is no way to check if it is true. In animals it is even more difficult because they can't talk. The cartoon character Nemo may have shown people for the first time that fish have feelings, a view that is supported by scientific research.
Here are some facts:
- Fish have the the type of nerves needed to feel pain (nociceptors), especially around the lips, eyes and head.
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Stimulation of these nerves produces a response in the brain, showing that the damaging event registers in the brain.
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Fish have the same chemicals in the nervous system for transmitting and blocking pain as mammals.
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When given morphine, fish show less response to frightening or painful stimuli, indicating that they feel pain and fear (otherwise why would the morphine affect their behaviour?)
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Fish learn to avoid painful stimuli such as electric shocks by avoiding the danger area.
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Fish also learn to avoid frightening stimuli, for example a net plunging into the water. When a light warns the fish of the dip net, they learn to swim away before the net hits the water.
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Fish can also learn to anticipate rewards. When food is given one minute after a light comes on, fish gather around the feeder as soon as they see the light and wait for the food. They still do so after 3 months of not seeing the light.
- Fish can learn to find food in a 3-arm maze on the basis of visual cues. Research has shown that they are not the stupid animals with a 3 second memory they were thought to be in the past.
For more detailed information on pain in fish, including references, go to Pain Perception in Fish
Recreational fishing causes pain and suffering
When a fishing hook pierces the the mouth of a fish it causes pain, just as it would in a mammal. The injury is even worse if the fish swallows the hook and it becomes lodged in the throat or gut.
Why is that the photo on the right hurts to look at and makes us think “Ouch”, while the photo on the left doesn't? There is no logical reason – both hurt.
Once landed, most fish are left to die a slow and miserable death as they suffocate. Imagine what it's like not being able to breathe -- this is the situation the fish are in. Putting them on ice doesn't help, it just prolongs the suffering. Big fish suffer more pain when they are landed with gaff hooks.
Releasing fish after catching them doesn't avoid the suffering.
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The fish still suffer the stress of being captured, plus the injuries caused by hooking and removing the hook.
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When fish take a long time to land, they suffer extreme exhaustion.
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Time in the air is extremely stressful because the fish can't breathe.
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Scales are not the outer layer of the fish's skin, and handling can easily damage the sensitive outer skin and mucous layer. Rough nets, dry hands and dragging across the ground will cause damage that can become infected when the fish is released.
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Some fish die after release, and some have to be killed before release because of the severity of their injuries.
The ultimate cruelty happens when small live fish are used to catch game fish. This is a description: “Kept alive be having salt water pumped through their gills, they have hooks stitched to the top of their heads by means of a sack needle passed through the eye socket. Then, with mouths sewn shut, they are towed behind the boats at a steady five knots. Sometimes they stay alive all day. If they begin to skitter in panic across the surface, observers know something big is closing in.”
Environmental damage
An estimated 47 billion fish are caught worldwide by recreational fishers each year, which contributes to the decline in fish populations.
Lost or discarded fishing lines, hooks and sinkers cause injuries to wildlife. Hooks get stuck in the beaks of waterbirds such as swans, pelicans and ducks, and line wraps around their legs. Among resident pelicans around the Richmond River NSW, 1/3 have fishing hook or line injuries.
One duck I rescued had a fishing line injury so badly infected that the leg had to be amputated. The photo shows another duck that had fishing line wrapped around her legs to create deep wounds. She died in spite of intensive veterinary treatment.
For more detailed information on recreational fishing, go to Fishing Causes Pain and Suffering
Death and destruction of commercial fishing
Fish caught in commercial nets suffer a miserable death. They can be crushed by the weight of other fish, which must be like being buried alive. They can suffocate slowly when hauled out, or be gutted while still alive.
Fish that are pulled out of deep water suffer decompression injuries. Here is a description:
“In extreme cases, the buildup of pressure within the abdomen causes a prolapse; parts of the gut are forced out of the mouth and anus, the eyes may be forced from the orbits and there can be distortions of the scales and flesh.”
Notice the bulging eyes of the fish on the right.
Gill nets hang vertically i
n the water and catch all animals of suitable size around the neck, causing them to drown.
Longlines are many kilometres long with hundreds of baited hooks that catch both targetted and unwanted animals, such as the endangered albatross on the left.
Animals caught in both gill nets and on long lines can be attacked by predators without being able to get away.
Commercial fishing damages the environment in a number of ways.
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The populations of many species of fish are declining, some to the point of collapse and others are endangered.
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Many unwanted animals (by-catch) are caught and killed in fishing gear. Prawn trawling catches more unwanted animals than prawns, including fish, sea snakes, and turtles.
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In addition, 2400 tonnes of fishing gear are lost or discarded across Australian waters each year. This gear continues to ensnare and kill a wide variety of animals.
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Dragging nets along the ocean floor destroys corals, sponges and the rocky habitat of many small animals.
For more detailed information on commercial fishing, including references, go to Death and Destruction of Commercial Fishing
The wastefulness of aquaculture
Aquaculture or fish farming is not the answer to declining fish populations in the ocean. The major industries in Australia involve carnivorous species such as tuna, salmon and prawns. Tuna and salmon are kept in sea cages and prawns in ponds along northern shorelines. Because they are carnivorous, they have to be fed at least some fish, as well as other valuable protein such as soy and wheat gluten that could be eaten by humans. Fish farms have been called the feedlots of the sea.
Tuna are the most inefficient animals, and it takes up to 17kg of small fish to produce 1kg of farmed tuna. Around one third of all the fish caught are boiled down into fishmeal and fish oil, the majority of which is used to fatten fish in aquaculture (the rest is used for land-based intensive farming of poultry and pigs). These small fish are an important part of the food chain for a variety of animals, including larger fish, seals and penguins. The more small fish are exploited by humans, the less food is available for these other animals. In south east Asia in particular, mangroves have been cleared to set up prawn farms. With the mangroves gone, there is no buffer against typhoon and tsunami damage.
For more detailed information on aquaculture, go to The Wastefulness of Aquaculture
Other marine animals have feelings
Recent research shows that the cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) and the decapod crustaceans (crayfish, prawn, crab) are capable of intelligent behaviour and
probably feel pain.
For example, when unpleasant chemicals were painted on one antenna of prawns they rubbed the affected antenna, but not if it was first treated with local anaesthetic. Yet these animals are often killed in ways that cause suffering, for example, dropping crabs and lobsters into boiling water. There is now a device which humanely stuns and kills crustaceans (www.crustastun.com).
For more detailed information on invertebrates, go to Other Marine Animals have Feelings
Conclusion: All the suffering and environmental damage outlined in this document can be avoided by adopting a plant-based diet.
