Farmed Fish, Sport and Commercial Fishing
"If you be really wise men, and lights of the world, take care not to sin against justice." —Jerome
Before we explore this topic, let me first explain a little about
fish. Because fish look so different from us, we often fail to
realize how delicate and sentient fish are. They, just like us, are
vertebrates, with the same nervous system. Not only do they feel
pain, they also have the capacity to feel and express in their own
way various emotions. Let me share a couple of stories to illustrate.
In a South African aquarium, an amazing example of altruism was
practiced for over a year by an oranda goldfish named Big Red! One
day a very deformed moor goldfish named Blackie, who could barely
swim, was placed in the tank. Right away Big Red knew Blackie needed
help, and made that his duty. Carefully he would maneuver Blackie
onto his back and take him around the tank and up for their food at
feeding times. 1
All this without reciprocation. At another aquarium, the owner gave
one of a pair of "rough" fish away. The one that was left
refused to eat until his friend was returned three weeks later 2.
Fish
are very sensitive creatures, with their own well-developed form of
language of buzzes, clicks, yelps, thumps, purrs and sobs. Of course,
we can only hear them with special equipment, but fish hear and
effectively communicate in this way. Fish cry out in pain and fear
when they are prodded, held or even just chased. In fact, tests
revealed that fish would cry just at the sight of something that had
previously caused them pain. 3
Fish have excellent sight. Their eyes are sensitive to light, and
shallow water fish can see color. 4
They
also have a well-developed sensory system for pain. And like humans,
fish have certain substances to help relieve the pain to some extent.
Even the lowly earthworm has these substances; a good thing to
remember before impaling him on a hook. God would not have given them
the means to deal with small amounts of pain if they did not even
have the capacity to feel pain. 5
Obviously, fish are not mere senseless vegetables to be speared on
hooks, slowly drowned in the air or treated with indifference, yet
this is what is often done.
Earlier we talked about the disease-ridden condition of farmed fish. Some fish such as salmon are caged, but submerged in natural water sources, thus endangering the indigenous species with parasites and infection. Off-Ireland sea lice from salmon raised in this way have nearly annihilated the native sea trout. 6 Another major problem is that of the wastes.
...a single two-acre salmon farm, holding 50,000 to 100,000 fish, produces as much organic waste as a town of 10,000 people. 7
Now let's look at commercial fishing. This industry is perhaps the most devastating to the environment. Eighty-eight percent of U.S. fisheries are either over-exploited or fully exploited. And 66 percent of the world's commercially important fish stocks are either fully fished, over-exploited, or depleted 8. Millions of non-target animals are also caught, killed or maimed each year. For years, shrimp operations in the Gulf have annually drowned over 11,000 sea turtles,
including some highly endangered species. As much as 70 percent of the animals caught in drift netting operations are "by catch." These dead or dying creatures are thrown back to sea. Undetermined numbers of dolphins and sea turtles, millions of birds, thousands of porpoises and fur seals are killed annually. 9
In calculating its catch, the commercial fishing industry defines ‘fish' very broadly... The industry includes whales, dolphins and porpoises as ‘commercial fish' whenever loopholes in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, alibis of necessity, or insulation from public opinion, permits these ‘fish kills.' "Inside the Commercial fishing Industry: The Wake of our Destruction" by Cole McFarland. 10
Many
animals are intentionally killed as varmints, such as monk and harp
seals, pilot whales, and striped and spotted dolphins. These gentle
creatures are herded into shallow waters and clubbed or stabbed.
Thousands of animals die only to rot. Albatrosses are shot
and
left to flounder in the water as a warning to others. What were the
crimes meritorious of such wanton cruelty? They happen to eat a few
fish, and rather than accept the blame for the dwindling fish supply
due to their own heedless abuse of nature, the fishing industry
entrenches itself still more against nature and nature's God. 11
But this is saying nothing of the intense suffering to countless millions of fish. Most commercial fishing is done with nets, which is the most destructive directly and incidentally. The trapped fish are hauled aboard, gasping for air, or crushed. But no less painful are those caught by longliners, whose lines are often over 100 miles long.12
Shark fins are a popular delicacy. The poor
creatures, 
who
are sentient, intelligent fish, are hooked or netted, their dorsal
and pectoral fins hacked off, then they are dumped back into the sea,
mutilated, bleeding, suffering intense agony, and doomed to a slow,
painful death with no way to steer, swim or support themselves. All
U.S. Atlantic coastal large sharks are, according to the National
Marine Fisheries Service, "over-fished" and others are
"fully-utilized." 13
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization made this
comment about the commercial fishing industry in general:
This situation is globally non-sustainable and major ecological and economic damage is already visible. "Fishing for Trouble" by Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D. & Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D. 14
...our oceans...are not limitless, indestructible repositories containing infinite ‘commodities' to be harvested, but rather delicate ecosystems of sentient, interdependent animals who reside together in an intricate web of life. The Animals' Voice. 15
Lobsters, who live in tight, altruistically social families for
up to 100 years, are kept solitarily confined, then boiled alive,
writhing and thrashing in pain. Fish are pierced, slit, gutted, bled
and crushed alive. How can we as humans feast on the sufferings of
others? 16
All rights reserved Copyright © 2006 By J. Lee