DEFEND ANIMALS
FISH & MARINE ANIMALS
2.7 TRILLION FISH ARE CAUGHT EVERY YEAR, OR UP TO 5 MILLION CAUGHT EVERY MINUTE
THE FISHING INDUSTRY RECEIVES $35 BILLION IN SUBSIDIES EACH YEAR. COMPARATIVELY IT WOULD ONLY COST $30 BILLION TO COMBAT WORLD HUNGER
FISH FARMS
50% OF THE WORLD'S SEAFOOD IS FARM-RAISED
UP TO 50% OF FARMED SALMON DIE FROM EGG TO PLATE
FARMED FISH CAN GET ANEMIA, LICE INFESTATIONS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, CHLAMYDIA AND HEART DISEASE
FISH FEEL PAIN
FISH HAVE THE CAPACITY TO EXPERIENCE PAIN AND FEAR, IN THE SAME WAY THAT MAMMALS DO.
MANY STUDIES HAVE PROVEN THAT FISH FEEL PAIN:
- SUDDEN EXPOSURE TO WARM WATER CAUSES INSTANT BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSES INDICATIVE OF PAIN IN ATLANTIC SALMON.
- A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR PAIN PERCEPTION STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT FISH EXPERIENCE PAIN IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THE REST OF THE VERTEBRATES
- THE COLLECTIVE EVIDENCE IS NOW ROBUST ENOUGH THAT BIOLOGISTS AND VETERINARIANS INCREASINGLY ACCEPT FISH PAIN AS A REALITY
FISH ARE COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED WHEN SUBJECTED TO NASTY INSULTS TO THEIR BODIES, AND THIS IMPAIRMENT CAN BE REVERSED IF THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH PAIN RELIEF/DRUG USE/MORPHINE.
THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION GUIDELINES FOR THE EUTHANASIA OF ANIMALS STATE:
"... ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE POSITION THAT FIN FISH, FISH THAT ARE NOT SHELLFISH, SHOULD BE ACCORDED THE SAME CONSIDERATIONS AS TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES IN REGARD TO RELIEF FROM PAIN."
HOOK SHYNESS
THERE ARE STUDIES IN WHICH LONG PERIODS OF TIME ELAPSED BEFORE FISHES RESUME NORMAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING CAPTURE BY HOOK AND LINE.
CARPS AND PIKES AVOIDED BAIT FOR UP TO THREE YEARS AFTER BEING HOOKED JUST ONCE.
A SERIES OF TESTS ON LARGEMOUTH BASS SHOWS THAT THEY, TOO,QUICKLY LEARN TO AVOID HOOKS AND REMAINED HOOK SHY FOR SIX MONTHS.
ENVIRONMENT
46% OF THE PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH IS FISHING NETS
THERE IS ENOUGH LONG LINE SET EVERY DAY TO WRAP AROUND THE PLANET 500x
FISH ARE VITAL IN KEEPING CORAL REEFS ALIVE
FISHING HAS BECOME A MAJOR THREAT TO CORAL REEFS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST TO THE CARIBBEAN, WHERE 90% OF LARGE FISH HAVE DISAPPEARED
HEALTH
THE CONTAMINANTS IN FISH, SUCH AS MERCURY, OFTEN OUTWEIGH THE BENEFITS OF OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS
ALGAE PRODUCE OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS, NOT FISH
FISH CONTAIN HEAVY METALS, MERCURY, DIOXINS, PLASTIC COMPOUNDS, HEXACHLOROBENZENES AND PCB'S
MORE FISH FACTS...
CHECK OUT THE BOOK 'WHAT A FISH KNOWS'
BYCATCH
ACCORDING TO SOME ESTIMATES, GLOBAL BYCATCH MAY AMOUNT TO 40 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S CATCH, TOTALING 63 BILLION POUNDS PER YEAR
APPROX. 50 MILLION SHARKS ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR AS BYCATCH
10,000+ DOLPHINS ARE KILLED AS BYCATCH OFF THE COAST OF FRANCE EVERY YEAR
OVER 300,000 WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES ARE KILLED AS BYCATCH EVERY YEAR
FISH INTELLIGENCE
FISH USE BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN. STUDIES SHOW THAT FISH WILL LOOK AT THEIR SHOAL MATES OR NEIGHBOURS USING THEIR LEFT EYE, WHILE USING THE RIGHT EYE TO VIEW PREDATORS OR NOVEL OBJECTS.
MIGRATING SALMON HAVE ACCURATE MEMORIES; YOUNG SALMON LEARN THE SEQUENCE OF SMELLS AND ODOURS THAT THEY ENCOUNTER ON THEIR FIRST MIGRATION OUT TO SEA. ON THE RETURN AS MATURE ADULTS, THEY RECALL THE LIST OF SMELLS THAT THEY MEMORISED AND USE THIS TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE BACK TO THE VERY STREAM THAT THEY HATCHED AND GREW UP IN.
A STUDY SHOWED THAT FISH CAN OUTSMART OTHER PRIMATES.
FISH & MONKEYS WERE OFFERED 2 PLATES OF IDENTICAL FOOD. IF THEY START EATING FROM THE BLUE PLATE, THEN THE RED PLATE IS REMOVED; IF THEY CHOOSE RED FIRST, THE BLUE PLATE IS LEFT WHERE IT IS AND THEY CAN HAVE BOTH PLATES.
THE FISH SOLVED THE PROBLEM BETTER THAN ANY OTHER PRIMATES.
OF THE 6 FISH TESTED, ALL LEARNED TO EAT FROM THE RED PLATE FIRST. (AVG 45 TRIALS)
IN CONTRAST, ONLY 2 OF THE CHIMPANZEE’S SOLVED THE PROBLEM IN LESS THAN 100 TRIALS. THE REMAINING TWO CHIMPS, AND ALL OF THE ORANGUTANS AND MONKEYS, FAILED THE TEST.
YOUNG FISH WERE ALSO TESTED AND THEY PERFORMED MARKEDLY WORSE THAN THE ADULT FISH, MEANING THAT THIS IS A MENTAL SKILL THAT MUST BE LEARNED.
ONE OF THE STUDY AUTHORS TRIED THE TEST ON HIS 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. HE SET UP AN EQUIVALENT TRIAL, AFTER 100 TRIALS SHE HAD NOT LEARNED TO EAT FROM THE TEMPORARY PLATE FIRST.
THE SOPHISTICATED FORAGING DECISIONS WHICH FISHES DEMONSTRATE ARE NOT EASILY ACHIEVED BY OTHER SPECIES WITH LARGER AND MORE COMPLEXLY ORGANISED BRAINS (HUMANS).
FISH TEAM UP WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPECIES TO COOPERATIVELY HUNT.
GROUPER FISH FROM THE RED SEA USE A RAPID, FULL BODY SHIMMY TO RECRUIT GIANT MORAY EEL'S TO HUNT WITH THEM. THE TWO TEAMMATES SWIM OFF OVER THE REEF LIKE FRIENDS ON A STROLL.
THE STUDY SHOWED THAT GROUPERS AND EELS WHO WORKED AS A TEAM CAUGHT MORE PREY FISHES THAN WORKING ALONE. THE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS IS THE COMPLEMENTARY ROLE EACH FISH PLAYS. THE EEL IS ABLE TO PURSUE FISHES TO NARROW SPACES IN THE REEF, WHERE AS THE GROUPER IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE OPEN WATER SURROUNDING THE CORALS. THE POOR VICTIM FINDS ITSELF OUT OF ESCAPE OPTIONS.
FISH ARE PROTECTIVE OF THEIR YOUNG
BEFORE BABY FISH ARE BORN, EXPECTANT MOTHERS TAKE ON THE ROLE OF PROTECTING THE EGGS. ONE APPROACH IS TO GUARD THE EGGS BY CHASING OFF INTRUDERS. TRUE TO THEIR NATURE, DAMSELFISH ARE VIGOROUSLY PROTECTIVE PARENTS. A WORLD-RENOWNED EXPERT ON FISH, TIERNEY THYS, TESTED THE PROTECTION LEVEL OF A MOTHER TO HER YOUNG. THE 5 INCH FISH GRUNTED REPEATING WARNINGS AT HER AS SHE APPROACHED FOR A CLOSER LOOK. FAILING TO REPEL, THE FISH MOTHER DARTED IN, SNATCHED UP A LARGE STRAND OF HIS HAIR AND IT'S TINY TEETH AND YANKED BACKWARD SO HARD TO THE POINT OF PAIN AND CRYING AS WELL AS FLOODING OF THE DIVING MASK.
MALES TAKE OVER AFTER EGG PRODUCTION. SO IT IS THE FATHER WHO BUILDS THE BUBBLE NEST AND WHO GUARDS THE DEVELOPING EGGS UNTIL THE BABIES HATCH.SENSING DANGER IT IS THE FATHER WHO SHAKES HIS PECTORAL FINS CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, CREATING A WAVE THAT CAN BE DETECTED BY THE YOUNG, WHO THEN SWIM TO HIM FOR THE SAFETY OF HIS ORAL CAVITY (MOUTHBROODING - CARRYING BABIES FOR PROTECTION IN THE MOUTH).