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Fish suffer greatly when caught and killed for their flesh. Whether caught by hook or net, fish experience fear—as evidenced by increased heart and breathing rates—just as humans do.
Fish, along with unintentional victims, including dolphins, birds, and turtles, are captured in huge trawlers’ nets, and squeezed for hours along with any netted rocks and debris. Dragged from the ocean depths, fish undergo excruciating decompression—often the intense internal pressure ruptures their swimbladder, pops out their eyes, and pushes their stomach through their mouth.Then they’re tossed onboard where many slowly suffocate or are crushed to death. Others are still alive when their throats and bellies are cut open.
Bulldozers of the Sea
 Today’s commercial fishers use vast “factory” trawlers the size of football fields and advanced electronic equipment and satellite communications to track fish. Huge nets, sometimes miles long, stretch across the ocean, swallowing up everything and everyone, including turtles and dolphins. (continued)
Aquaculture: Factory-Raised Fish
Aquaculture (fish farming in a controlled environment) has become a multimillion-dollar industry. Almost half of the salmon, 40 percent of the mollusks, and 65 percent of the freshwater fish consumed today spend most of their lives in captivity. Factory-farmed fish are subjected to intensive crowding and unnatural conditions, which spread infection and parasites. (continued)
Fish Feel Pain
While fish cannot always express pain and suffering in ways that humans can easily recognize, common sense (as well as marine biologists) tells us that fish feel pain. Fish may not be cute and cuddly like puppies and kittens, but they suffer and experience pain in very much the same way. (continued)
Taste of the Ocean
The freshest catch isn't from the sea! Let the fish swim free, but hang on to the taste with these delicious recipes. (continued)
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