Re: Are we cruel to fish?
Originally Posted by
Mups
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Apparently other methods of killing these creatures is either hitting their head hard, or driving a sharp spike into their brain!
Pretty ghastly when you think about it, isn't it.
Actually those methods are far more humane than others. A quick sharp rap on the head with a wooden rod is a fisherman's standard way to dispatch a fish. It's pretty instant if done right so the fish doesn't suffer.
A spike into the brain likewise.
Other animals in this same ethical discussion are the crab and lobster. As most know, chefs traditionally keep these creatures alive in tanks of water up to the point someone wants to eat them. Then the age old way of killing them is just to lob them whilst alive, into a large pot of boiling water.
That's a pretty horrific death, to be boiled alive.
The more humane amongst us will take a screwdriver or similar pointed object and jab it into the "skull" area just between the eyes. This kills the animal instantly. Then they can be boiled without suffering.
Once we are resigned to eating fish as a food source we have to accept that the scales of catching and production are large.
Millions of fish are caught and processed and so one can not give each animal a personal dignified execution.
Electrocution is probably quite humane as it will knock them out very swiftly.
What I do abhor is the sport of angling. Whilst I absolutely see the enjoyment and peaceful solitude of sitting on the bank of a sun dappled river watching a float, the fact remains that the fisherman in most cases has intention to hook a fish, watch it struggle helplessly on the line until it gives up having exhausted itself at which point the fisherman lifts it out of the water, removes the hook (usually leaving gaping holes in the mouth) , possibly takes a selfie with it, and then just throws it back in the water.
As a sport/pastime this is actually pretty barbaric and utterly stupid yet a great deal of pleasure is derived in the process.
Fishing in order to catch, kill and eat the animal is fine.
Fishing for fun with intent to lob the fish back in is ridiculous and imho should be stopped.
The very worst examples are those small lakes and ponds which are artificially stocked with fish and which see moronic anglers sitting there day in day out pulling out the same fish time and time again and throwing them back in. This IS like shooting fish in a barrel which equally these idiots would do if it were allowed !